§ 1209.235 Mail balloting.

(a) After the initial regional caucuses, the Council may conduct nominations of individuals as candidates for appointment to the Council by mail ballot in lieu of a regional caucus. (b)(1) In the event of a mail ballot, all qualified individuals in a region interested in serving as a member on the Council or persons who are interested in nominating an individual to serve on the Council shall submit to the Council in writing such information as name, mailing address, number of pounds of mushrooms produced or imported, or such other information as may be required, in order to place such individual on the ballot. (2) Notice of mail balloting to nominate candidates for a position on the Council shall be publicized by the Council to producers or importers in the region involved, and to the Secretary, at least 120 days before the region's nominee ballot is issued. (3) In proposing nominees for inclusion on a mail ballot, proposed nominations must be received by the Council at least 30 days before the region's nominee ballot is issued. (c) Once proposed nominations have been submitted from the applicable region, the Council shall cause each proposed nomination, if the individual qualifies, to be placed on the region's nominee ballot. The Council then shall mail a ballot to each known producer or importer within the region. (d) Distribution of ballots shall be announced by press releases, furnishing pertinent information on balloting, issued by the Council through newspapers and other publications having general circulation among producers in the mushroom producing areas involved or among mushroom importers. (e) Each producer or importer shall cast a ballot for each open position on the Council assigned to the region in accordance with the procedures prescribed in § 1209.31 of this part. The completed ballot must be returned to the Council or its designee within 30 days after the ballot is issued. (f) Within 45 days after a mail ballot is issued, the Council shall validate the ballots cast, tabulate the votes, and provide the Secretary with the results of the vote and the identification of the region's two nominees for each open position on the Council. (g) The Council shall provide nominees with qualification statements and other specified information. Each nominee selected in the mail ballot will be contacted by the Council and asked to forward such completed documentation to the Council within 14 days of such notification.