(a) Challenge period. During the dates of the 3-consecutive day voting period and the 7 business days following the voting period, the ballots of producers may be challenged at the FSA county office.

(b) Who can challenge. Any person can challenge a producer's vote. Any person who wants to challenge shall do so in writing and shall include the full name of the individual or corporation or other entity being challenged. Each challenge of a producer vote must be made on a separate sheet of paper and each challenge must be signed by the challenger. The identity of the challenger will be kept confidential except as the Secretary may direct or as otherwise required by law.

(c) Who can be challenged. Any producer having cast an in-person ballot or an absentee ballot whose name is posted on the In-Person Voter Registration List (Form LS-75) or the Absentee Voter Request List (Form LS-74) can be challenged. There is no challenge process for importers.

(d) Notification of challenges. The FSA County Committee or its representative, acting on behalf the Administrator, AMS, will notify challenged producers as soon as practicable, but no later than 12 business days after the date of the last day of the in-person voting period. FSA will notify all challenged persons that documentation such as sales documents, tax records, or other similar documents proving that the person owned and sold hogs or pigs during the representative period must be submitted or his or her vote will not be counted. The documentation must be provided to the FSA county offices within 5 business days of notification and not later than 17 business days after the date of the last day of the voting period.

(e) Determination of challenges. The FSA County Committee or its representative, acting on behalf of the Administrator, AMS, will make a determination concerning the challenge based on documentation provided by the producer and will notify challenged producers as soon as practicable, but no later than 22 business days after the date of the last day of the in-person voting period of its decision.

(f) Challenged ballot. A challenge to a ballot shall be deemed to have been resolved if the determination of the FSA County Committee or its representative, acting on behalf of the Administrator, AMS, is not appealed within the time allowed for appeal or there has been a determination by the Administrator, AMS, after an appeal.

(g) Appeal. A person declared to be ineligible to register and vote by the FSA County Committee or its representative, acting on behalf of the Administrator, AMS, can file an appeal at the FSA county office within 5 business days after the date of receipt of the letter of notification of ineligibility, but not later than November 2, 2000. The FSA county office shall send a producer's appeal by facsimile to the Administrator, AMS, on the date it is filed at the FSA county office or as soon as practical thereafter.

(h) An appeal will be determined by the Administrator, AMS, as soon as practical, but in all cases not later than the 45th business day after the date of the last day of the voting period. The Administrator, AMS, shall send her decision on a producer's appeal to the FSA county office where the producer was initially challenged. The FSA county office shall notify the challenged producer of the Administrator's, AMS, determination on his or her appeal. The Administrator's, AMS, determination on an appeal shall be final.

[65 FR 43508, July 13, 2000, as amended at 65 FR 62579, Oct. 19, 2000]