(a) Registering and voting in-person.

(1) Each eligible producer who wants to vote whether as an individual or as a representative of a corporation or other entity shall register during the 3-day in-person voting period at the county FSA office where FSA maintains and processes the individual producer's or corporation's or other entities' administrative farm records. A producer voting as an individual or as a representative of a corporation or other entity not participating in FSA programs, shall register and vote in the county FSA office serving the county where the individual producer or corporation or other entity owns hogs or pigs. An individual or an authorized representative of a corporation or other entity who owns hogs or pigs in more than one county shall register and vote in the FSA county office where the individual or corporation or other entity does most of their business. Producers shall be required to record on the In-Person Voter Registration List (Form LS-75) their name and address, and if applicable, the name and address of the corporation or other entity they represent before they can receive a registration form and ballot. To register, producers shall complete the in-person registration and certification form (Form LS-72-2) and certify that:

(i) They or the corporation or other entity they represent were producers during the specified representative period; and

(ii) The person voting on behalf of a corporation or other entity referred to in §1230.612 is authorized to do so.

(2) Each eligible producer who has not voted by means of an absentee ballot may cast a ballot in-person at the location and time set forth in §1230.625 and on September 19, 20, 21, 2000. Eligible producers who record their names and addresses and, if applicable, the name and address of the corporation or other entity they are authorized to represent on the In-Person Voter Registration List (Form LS-75) will receive a combined registration and certification form printed on an envelope (Form LS-72-2) and a ballot (Form LS-72). Producers will enter the information requested on the combined registration and certification form/envelope (Form LS-72-2) as indicated above. Producers will then mark their ballots to indicate “yes” or “no.” Producers will place their completed ballots in an envelope marked “Pork Ballot” (Form LS-72-1), seal and place it in the completed and signed registration form/envelope marked “Pork Referendum” (Form LS-72-2), seal that envelope and personally place it in a box marked “Ballot Box” or other designated receptacle. Voting will be conducted on-site under the supervision of the county FSA County Executive Director (CED).

(b) Absentee voting.

(1) Eligible producers who are unable to vote in-person may request an absentee voting package consisting of a combined registration and absentee ballot form (Form LS-73) and two envelopes—one marked “Pork Ballot” (Form LS-72-1) and the other marked “Pork Referendum” (Form LS-73-1) by mail, telephone, facsimile, or by picking up one in-person from the county FSA office where FSA maintains and processes the producer's administrative farm records.

(2) If a producer, whether requesting an absentee ballot as an individual or as an authorized representative of a corporation or other entity that does not participate in FSA programs, and therefore does not have administrative records at a county FSA office, he or she may request an absentee voting package by telephone, mail, facsimile, or pick it up in-person from the county FSA office serving the county where the individual or corporation or other entity owns hogs or pigs. An individual or authorized representative of a corporation or other entity, who owns hogs or pigs in more than one county can request an absentee ballot from the county FSA office where the producer or corporation or other entity does most of their business.

(3) An absentee voting package will be mailed to producers by the FSA CED to the address provided by the prospective voter. Only one absentee registration form and absentee ballot will be provided to each eligible producer. The absentee ballots and registration forms may be requested during August 1, 2000, through September 18, 2000.

(4) The county FSA office will enter on the Absentee Voter Request List (Form LS-74) the name and address of the individual or corporation or other entity requesting an absentee ballot and the date the forms were requested.

(5) To register, eligible producers shall complete and sign the combined registration and certification form and absentee ballot (Form LS-73) and certify that:

(i) They or the corporation or other entity they represent were producers during the specified representative period;

(ii) If voting on behalf of a corporation or other entity referred to in §1230.612, they are authorized to do so.

(6) A producer, after completing the absentee voter registration form and marking the ballot, shall remove the ballot portion of the combined registration and absentee ballot form (Form LS-73) and seal the completed ballot in a separate envelope marked “Pork Ballot” (Form LS-72-1) and place the sealed “Pork Ballot” envelope in the mailing envelope marked “Pork Referendum” (Form LS-73-1) along with the signed registration form. Producers are required to print their name and address on the mailing envelope marked “Pork Referendum” (Form LS-73-1), and mail or hand deliver it to the county FSA office from which the producer or corporation or other entity obtained the absentee voting package. Absentee ballots returned in-person must be received by close of business on the last day of the in-person voting period, which is September 21, 2000. Ballots received after that date will be counted as invalid ballots.

(7) Absentee ballots returned by mail have to be postmarked with a date not later than the last day of the in-person voting period, which is September 21, 2000, and be received in the county FSA office by the close of business on the 5th business day after the last day of the in-person voting period, which is September 28, 2000. Absentee ballots received after that date will be counted as invalid ballots. Upon receiving the “Pork Referendum” envelope (Form LS-73-1) containing the registration form and ballot, the county FSA CED will record the date the “Pork Referendum” envelope (Form LS-73-1) containing the absentee ballot was received in the FSA county office on the Absentee Voter Request List (Form LS-74) opposite the name of the producer voting absentee. The county FSA CED will place it, unopened, in a secure ballot box.