§ 717.3 - Voting eligibility.

(a) Statutory requirements—(1) Tobacco quotas proclaimed on an acreage basis under section 312(a) of the Act. Within 30 days after the proclamation under section 312(a) of the Act of national marketing quotas on an acreage basis for any kind of tobacco for the next 3 succeeding marketing years, there shall be a referendum under section 312(c) of the Act of farmers engaged in the production of the crop of such tobacco harvested immediately prior to the holding of the referendum to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to such quotas for the 3-year period. If more than one-third of the farmers voting oppose such quotas, the quotas so proclaimed for the 3-year period shall not be in effect: Provided, That such referendum result shall not preclude the proclamation of national marketing quotas for such kind of tobacco for the next 3 succeeding marketing years subject to a referendum as required under this paragraph. If the referendum results in approval of quotas for the 3-year period, no further referendum applicable to such quotas shall be held (i) unless a new proclamation during the 3-year period is made pursuant to subdivision (3) of section 312(a) of the Act in which case a referendum shall be held as provided in this paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, or (ii) unless quotas on an acreage-poundage basis are established pursuant to section 317(c) of the Act, in which case a special referendum shall be held as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(2) Tobacco quotas proclaimed on an acreage-poundage basis under section 317(c) of the Act. During the first or second marketing year of the 3-year period for which marketing quotas for any kind of tobacco are in effect on an acreage basis, if the Secretary, under section 317(c) of the Act, determines that marketing quotas on an acreage-poundage basis would result in a more effective program, at the time of the next announcement of the amount of the marketing quota on an acreage basis, the Secretary shall also announce the national acreage allotment and national average yield goal. Within 45 days after such announcement of acreage-poundage quotas there shall be a special referendum under section 317(c) of the Act of farmers engaged in the production of the kind of tobacco of the most recent crop to determine whether such farmers favor the establishment of marketing quotas on an acreage-poundage basis for the next 3 marketing years. If more than two-thirds of the farmers voting in the special referendum favor marketing quotas on an acreage-poundage basis, such quotas shall be in effect for the next 3 marketing years and the marketing quotas on an acreage basis shall cease to be in effect at the beginning of such 3-year period and no further special referendum applicable to such 3-year period shall be held. If marketing quotas on an acreage-poundage basis are not favored by more than two-thirds of the farmers voting in the special referendum, marketing quotas on an acreage basis as previously proclaimed shall continue in effect.

(3) Tobacco quotas proclaimed on an acreage-poundage basis under section 317(d) of the Act. If marketing quotas on an acreage-poundage basis have been made effective for a kind of tobacco, the Secretary shall proclaim a national marketing quota for such kind of tobacco for the next 3 succeeding marketing years if the marketing year is the last year of 3 consecutive years for which marketing quotas previously proclaimed will be in effect. Such proclamation may be on an acreage-poundage basis or on an acreage basis. Within 30 days after such proclamation, there shall be a referendum under section 312(c) of the Act of farmers engaged in the production of the crop of such kind of tobacco harvested immediately prior to the holding of the referendum to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to such quotas for the next 3 succeeding marketing years. If more than one-third of the farmers voting oppose such quotas, the quotas so proclaimed for the 3-year period shall not be in effect: Provided, That such referendum result shall not preclude the proclamation of national marketing quotas for such kind of tobacco for the next 3 succeeding marketing years under section 312(a) of the Act subject to a referendum thereon as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. If a referendum results in approval of quotas for 3 marketing years on an acreage basis, no further referendum applicable to such 3 marketing years shall be held except as may be required under section 317(c) of the Act. If a referendum results in approval of quotas for 3 marketing years on an acreage-poundage basis, no further referendum applicable to such 3 marketing years shall be held.

(4) Tobacco quotas proclaimed but disapproved in 3 successive years. Under section 312(a)(4) of the Act, if producers have disapproved national marketing quotas for a kind of tobacco in referenda held in 3 successive years subsequent to 1952, a national marketing quota shall not be proclaimed for any marketing year within the 3-year period for which quotas were disapproved unless prior to November 10 of the marketing year, one-fourth or more of the farmers engaged in the production of the crop of tobacco harvested in the calendar year in which such marketing year begins petition the Secretary to proclaim a national marketing quota for each of the next 3 succeeding marketing years.

(5) [Reserved]

(6) Extra long staple cotton quotas. Not later than December 15 following the proclamation of a national quota for extra long staple cotton there shall be a referendum under section 343 of the Act, of farmers engaged in the production of extra long staple cotton in the calendar year in which the referendum is held to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to the quota for the next marketing year. If more than one-third of the farmers voting in the referendum oppose the quota, such quota shall not be in effect.

(7) [Reserved]

(8) Rice quotas. Within 30 days after the proclamation of a national marketing quota for rice there shall be a referendum under section 354(b) of the Act of farmers engaged in the production of the immediately preceding crop of rice to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to the quota for the next marketing year. If more than one-third of the farmers voting in the referendum oppose the quota, such quota shall not be in effect.

(9) Peanut quotas. Not later than December 15 of each calendar year there shall be a referendum under section 358(b) of the Act of farmers engaged in the production of peanuts in the calendar year in which the referendum is held to determine whether such farmers are in favor of or opposed to marketing quotas with respect to the crops of peanuts produced in the 3 calendar years immediately following the year in which the referendum is held. If more than one-third of the farmers voting in the referendum oppose such quotas, the quotas so proclaimed shall not be in effect: Provided, That such referendum result shall not preclude the proclamation of quotas in the next calendar year for a 3-year period subject to a referendum as required under this paragraph. If quotas are favored, no further referendum with respect to the 3-year period shall be held.

(b) Farmers engaged in the production of a commodity. For purposes of referenda with respect to marketing quotas for tobacco, extra long staple cotton, rice and peanuts the phrase “farmers engaged in the production of a commodity” includes any person who is entitled to share in a crop of the commodity, or the proceeds thereof because he shares in the risks of production of the crop as an owner, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper (landlord whose return from the crop is fixed regardless of the amount of the crop produced is excluded) on a farm on which such crop is planted in a workmanlike manner for harvest: Provided, That any failure to harvest the crop because of conditions beyond the control of such person shall not affect his status as a farmer engaged in the production of the crop. In addition, the phrase “farmers engaged in the production of a commodity” also includes each person who it is determined would have had an interest as a producer in the commodity on a farm for which a farm allotment for the crop of the commodity was established and no acreage of the crop was planted but an acreage of the crop was regarded as planted for history acreage purposes under the applicable commodity regulations.

(c) Special conditions applicable to peanuts and rice—(1) Peanuts. In the case of a referendum for marketing quotas for peanuts, farmers engaged in the production of peanuts as determined under paragraph (b) of this section shall not be eligible to vote in the referendum if the farm does not have any production of peanuts subject to marketing quotas. Under section 359(b) of the Act, marketing quotas are not applicable to peanuts produced on any farm on which the acreage harvested for nuts is 1 acre or less provided the producers who share in the peanuts produced on such farm do not share in the peanuts produced on any other farm. Under section 359(b) of the Act, marketing quotas are not applicable to peanuts which it is established (i) were not picked or threshed either before or after marketing from the farm, or (ii) were marketed by the producer before drying or removal of moisture from such peanuts either by natural or artificial means for consumption exclusively as boiled peanuts.

(2) Rice. In the case of a referendum for a marketing quota for rice, farmers engaged in the production of rice as determined under paragraph (b) of this section shall not be eligible to vote in the referendum if the farm is not subject to marketing quotas. Under section 353(d) of the Act, marketing quotas are not applicable (i) to nonirrigated rice produced on any farm on which the acreage planted to nonirrigated rice does not exceed 3 acres, or (ii) to rice produced outside the continental United States.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) One vote limitation. Each person eligible to vote in a particular marketing quota referendum shall be entitled to only one vote in such referendum regardless of the number of farms in which such person is interested or the number of communities, counties, or States in which farms are located in which farms such person is interested: Provided, That:

(1) The individual members of a partnership shall each be entitled to one vote, but the partnership as an entity shall not be entitled to vote;

(2) An individual eligible voter shall be entitled to one vote even though he is interested in an entity (including but not limited to a corporation) which entity is also eligible to vote;

(3) A person shall also be entitled to vote in each instance of his capacity as a fiduciary (including but not limited to a guardian, administrator, executor or trustee) if in such fiduciary capacity he is eligible to vote but the person for whom he acts as a fiduciary shall not be eligible to vote.

(f) Joint and family interest. Where several persons, such as members of a family, have participated or will participate in the production of a commodity under the same lease or cropping agreement, only the person or persons who signed the lease or agreement, or agreed to an oral lease or agreement, shall be eligible to vote. Where two or more persons have produced or will produce a commodity as joint tenants, tenants in common, or owners of community property, each such person shall be entitled to one vote if otherwise eligible. The eligibility of one spouse does not affect the eligibility of the other spouse.

(g) Minors. A minor shall be entitled to one vote if he is otherwise eligible and is 18 years of age or older when he votes.

(h) [Reserved]

(i) Interpretation. In the case of any commodity on a farm where no acreage of the commodity is actually planted but an acreage of the commodity is regarded as planted under applicable regulations of the Department, persons on the farm who it is determined would have had an interest in the commodity as a producer if an acreage of the commodity had been actually planted shall be eligible to vote in the referendum.