(a) Persons must meet the requirements of paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section to be eligible to vote in direct elections of county committee members.

(b) Farmers and ranchers who are of legal voting age in the State in which their farms or ranches are located, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status, and any farmers or ranchers not of legal voting age who are in charge of the supervision and conduct of the farming operations on an entire farm, are eligible to vote for direct election of county committee members, if they:

(1) Participated in a program administered within a county, or area under the jurisdiction of the county committee, within 1 year of the date of the election; or

(2) Not later than the final date to return ballots, cooperate as evidenced in county office records.

(c) In any State having a community property law, the spouse of a person who is eligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section is also eligible to vote.

(d) If an eligible voter is a legal entity, the eligible voter's vote may be cast by a duly authorized representative of such entity, as determined by the Deputy Administrator, Field Operations, FSA.

(e) Each county office will maintain a list of eligible voters for each local administrative area within the county. A county office must disclose a list containing the names of eligible voters to the public. A county office must disclose a list containing the names and addresses of eligible voters to a candidate for a county committee position at the request of the candidate.

(f) Farmers and ranchers who are not on the list of eligible voters who believe that they meet eligibility requirements may file a written challenge with the county committee and may appeal county committee voting ineligibility determinations to the State committee.

(g) Each eligible voter will be entitled to only one ballot in any election held in any one local administrative area. If the eligible voter has an interest in land located in more than one local administrative area in a single county, such voter will not be entitled to vote in more than one local administrative area in that county. There will be no voting by proxy.