§ 717.22 - Reporting and record of result of the referendum.

(a) County committee. The county committee shall notify the State committee by telephone, telegraph, or messenger (who may be a member of the county committee), as to the preliminary count of the votes on each question and the number of challenged ballots as soon as possible. The county committee shall, as soon as may be reasonably possible, but in no event later than 4 calendar days after canvassing of the ballots, have prepared and certified the county summary of ballots. Such summary shall be prepared and certified in triplicate, one copy of which shall be sent to the State committee, one copy posted for 30 calendar days in a conspicuous place accessible to the public in or near the office of the county committee, and one copy filed in the office of the county committee and kept available for public inspection.

(b) State committee. The State committee for each State shall notify the Deputy Administrator by telephone or telegraph as to the preliminary count of the votes in the State as soon as the preliminary results of the referendum are made known to the State committee. The county summaries of ballots shall be summarized on the State summary of ballots as soon as possible, but in no event later than 7 calendar days after canvassing of the ballots, unless there is a dispute or challenge regarding the correctness of the summary for any county, in which case the State committee shall complete its investigation thereof, decide the dispute or challenge, and prepare the State summary accordingly within 14 calendar days after canvassing of the ballots. The State summary shall be prepared in triplicate and certified to by the State executive director. The original and one copy of the State summary shall be forwarded to the Director of the FSA Division having the responsibility for the commodity for which the referendum was held. One copy of the State summary shall be filed for a period of 5 years in the office of State committee available for public inspection.