(a) Subject to the limitations of Section 5.6 hereof, an election may at any time be called in the town upon written request of the town council or upon a petition to the appropriate board of elections conducting elections for the town on the question of submitting to the qualified voters of the town the question of establishing and operating in the town an alcoholic beverage control store, or stores, as herein provided.
(b) The election shall be called in the town by theappropriate board of elections upon the writtenrequest of the town council or upon a petitiontothe board of elections signed by a number of voters of the town equal to at least 20 percent of the number of registered voters of the town according to the registration figures certified by the State Board of Elections on the date the petition is presented to the appropriate board of elections. In calling the special election, the board of elections shall give at least 30 days' public notice of the election before the closing of the registration books for such election, and the regis tration books shall close at the same time as for a regular town election. A new registration of voters for special alcoholic beverage control elec tions is not required, and all qualified electors who are properly registered prior to the registra tion for the special election, as well as those electors who register for the special alcoholic beverage control election, shall be entitled to vote in the election.