When a special tax is petitioned for, the board shall immediately order an election within the division to determine whether such tax will be levied. The board may submit to the electors at such election the question whether the balance of the estimated cost of the proposed work will be raised by a special tax in one year or spread equally over 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 successive years and whether the amount annually estimated to be needed for maintenance will be raised by the annual levy of a special tax for the period appropriate to the period indicated in the petition. The electorate at such an election shall consist of the registered voters residing within the boundaries of the division if there are 10 or more registered voters residing within the division at the time of ordering the election or if there are less than 10 registered voters within the boundaries of the division at the time of ordering the election the electorate shall consist of the legal owners of the land lying within the boundaries of such division as shown on the last equalized assessment roll unless proof of transfer of legal title satisfactory to the board is submitted to the board at least 10 days prior to the date of election in which event the transferee shall be an elector in the place and stead of the transferor unless the transferor is the legal owner of other property within the boundaries of the division.