§ 1412.72 Election period.

(a) Election will be conducted in a defined period as announced by FSA. During the election period, all producers on a farm must unanimously make the irrevocable election as described in § 1412.71 to preserve the payment eligibility for 2019 or 2026 and determine whether the default election under § 1412.74 will apply to the farm. (b) If an election is submitted by all producers on a farm as specified in § 1412.71 and paragraph (a) of this section, that election will be recognized as valid for the farm unless any of the following occur: (1) The election is rescinded or terminated by any producer on the farm in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section during the election period; (2) The valid election is modified and replaced by another valid election by all producers during the election period; (3) A subsequent valid election by all producers is made with FSA during the election period; or (4) FSA determines the election at the time it was made was invalid for any reason. (c) At any time during an election period, a producer can rescind or terminate an election by providing written notice to FSA during the election period. The written notice to rescind or terminate must be physically received by FSA for CCC during the election period in order to be recognized. Immediately following receipt of such notice to rescind or terminate, the farm will be viewed as not having any effective valid election (in other words, no valid election will be determined to exist—even if there was another previous election in effect before the election that is rescinded, or terminated as specified in with this paragraph). (d) FSA is under no obligation to notify producers or owners on a farm that an election has been submitted, filed, rescinded, or terminated. Producers of a farm are solely responsible for filing a valid election during an election period or in whatever time remains in an election period following the rescission or termination of an election. (e) FSA is under no obligation to notify producers or owners of whether or not a valid election exists or is in place or whether any producer has rescinded or terminated an election. FSA will respond to inquiries regarding the status of election of a farm by any producer or owner on a farm including a producer or owner who gains a producer or owner interest on the farm during the election period. (f) The election period and final day in that election period in which producers can unanimously and irrevocably elect are not a compliance requirement or provision. The requirement of an election is mandated in the 2014 Farm Bill, as amended and as such is not subject to any of the equitable relief provisions of 7 CFR part 718, subpart D. Further, because the requirement of a unanimous irrevocable election and ramifications for not having a valid election are specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, as amended FSA will not consider any equitable relief. There are no late-file provisions for election.