(a) Proxy voting by producers and handlers for producer and handler nominees shall be permitted at all district conventions: Provided, That producers may cast proxy votes for producers only, and handlers may cast proxy votes for handlers only. In non-multi-State districts, proxy voting shall be permitted for all producer and handler nominee balloting to determine the districts' nominees. In multi-State districts, proxy voting shall be permitted for all producers and handlers participating in a State's balloting to determine the State's nominees. No other proxy voting, such as for district convention chairperson, shall be allowed. Any person wanting to cast proxy votes must demonstrate authorization to do so. Authority to cast a proxy vote on behalf of another person shall be demonstrated through documentation containing:

(1) The proxy voter's name, address, and telephone number;

(2) Signature and date signed;

(3) A certification identifying the proxy voter as a producer or a handler; and

(4) A statement identifying the person being given authority by the proxy voter to cast the proxy vote.

All proxy documentation must be received by the Board at its headquarters address at least two weeks before the district convention is scheduled to convene. For the purpose of the initial district convention, all proxy documentation must be forwarded to the Department representative identified in the call for the district convention in a manner that will ensure receipt, at the address specified in the call, at least 72 hours before the district convention is scheduled to convene. The Board, or in the case of the initial conventions the Department representative identified in the call or other representative of the Department, may challenge any proxy vote and disqualify any challenged vote for cause. In the case of duplicate proxy authorizations by any person, only the first authorization, determined by date will be allowed. In the case of duplicate dates, the proxy which is received first will be allowed.

(b) In non-multi-State districts, convention chairpersons shall be elected by a majority vote of the eligible voters in attendance. In multi-State districts, the election shall be by majority vote of all States present with each State's vote(s) determined by a majority vote of the eligible voters of that State in attendance. Each such State is entitled to one vote, plus one additional vote for each 500,000 hundredweight volume of production in the State as determined by the three-year average annual crop production summary reports of the Department or, if such reports are not published, then the three-year average of the Board's assessment reports: Provided, That for the first two conventions, the Department's Crop Production Annual Summary Reports for 1979, 1980, and 1981 will be controlling as to any additional production volume votes.

(c) In multi-State districts 3, 4, 5 and 7, the convention chairperson will direct the eligible producer voters and handler voters from each State to caucus separately for the purpose of electing a State spokesperson for each group. Election of each State spokesperson shall be by simple majority of all individual voters in attendance. In lieu of written ballots, a State spokesperson may be elected by voice vote or a show of hands. The role of the State spokesperson is to coordinate State voting and to cast all State votes.

(d) Convention chairpersons will coordinate the entire producer and handler nomination process. In conducting the nomination process, each convention chairperson will ensure that:

(1) Voting for producer nominees is limited to producers, and voting for handler nominees is limited to handlers; and

(2) Producer candidates for nomination are producers, and handler candidates for nomination are handlers.

(e) Voting, for producer and handler nominees, in non-multi-State districts shall be on the basis of one vote per person, except that persons authorized to cast proxy votes shall be allowed to cast all proxy votes not disallowed by the Board or the Department. Election of nominees shall be on the basis of a simple majority of all eligible votes cast.

(f) Voting for producer and handler nominees in multi-State districts shall be on a State by State basis. Producers and handlers from each State shall caucus separately, at the district convention, for the purpose of determining which nominees shall receive their State's vote(s) for membership on the Board. Each State's vote(s) shall be based on a simple majority of all votes (including proxy votes) cast by producers or handlers voting in their State's caucus. Each State represented at a multi-State district convention shall have one vote for each producer position and one vote for each handler position from the district on the Board. Each State shall further have an additional vote toward each position for each 500,000 hundredweight volume of production in the State as determined by the three-year average annual crop production summary reports of the Department or, if such reports are not published, then the three-year average of the Board's assessment reports: Provided, That for the first two calls for nominees, the Department's Crop Production Annual Summary Reports for 1979, 1980, and 1981 will be controlling as to any additional production volume votes. Each State spokesperson will cast the State's vote(s) for each nominee position. Election of nominees shall be on the basis of a simple majority of all State votes cast.

(g) During the voting for convention chairperson, State spokesperson, and Board member nominee, should no candidate receive the required simple majority on the first ballot, the number of candidates may be reduced by dropping one or more of the lowest vote recipients from the list of candidates. The balloting will be repeated until the position is filled.

(h) Two nominees shall be elected for each of the producer and handler positions from each district on the Board. The two nominees for each position shall be elected simultaneously. The convention chairperson will open the floor to the nomination of candidates for possible election as a Board member nominee for each available position. Each position will be dealt with separately (i.e., candidates for one position will be nominated and then elected before the convention moves on to the next available position). Each eligible voter may vote for two of the nominees on one ballot. The two nominees receiving the greatest number of votes and at least a simple majority of the votes cast will be elected as the district's Board member nominees for the position. No individual elected as a nominee for Board membership may be a candidate on subsequent Board member nominee ballots (i.e., two different producer names and two different handler names must be submitted as nominees for each producer and handler position from each district to the Secretary of Agriculture). There shall be no designation of first and second choice nominees.

[54 FR 38205, Sept. 15, 1989, as amended at 58 FR 3355, Jan. 8, 1993]