(a) Initial members. Members and alternate members of the Committee serving immediately prior to the effective date of this amended subpart shall, if thereafter they are eligible, serve on the Committee until April 30, 1984, and until their respective successors have been selected and qualified.
(b) Nominations for successor members. Nominations for successor members and alternate members of the Committee shall be made as follows:
(1) The Committee shall notify the cooperative marketing association(s) engaged in handling not less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year, and cooperative bargaining association(s), of the date by which nominations to fill member and alternate member positions shall be made. The Committee shall give reasonable publicity of a meeting or meetings of producers who are not members of cooperative bargaining association(s), or cooperative marketing association(s) which handled 10 percent or more of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year, and of independent handlers and cooperative marketing association(s) who handled less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year, for the purpose of making nominations to fill the member and alternate member positions prescribed in Sec. 989.26 (c) and (d): Provided, That member and alternate member nominations by independent handlers and cooperative marketing association(s) who acquired less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year may be made to the Committee by mail in lieu of meetings.
(2)(i) Any producer representing independent producer and producers who are affiliated with cooperative marketing association(s) handling less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year must have produced grapes which were made into raisins in the particular district for which they are nominated to represent said district as a producer member or alternate producer member on the committee. In the event any such nominee is engaged as a producer in more than one district, such producer may be a nominee for only one district. One or more producers may be nominated for each such producer member or alternate member position.
(i) Any producer representing independent producer and producers who are affiliated with cooperative marketing association(s) handling less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year must have produced grapes which were made into raisins in the particular district for which they are nominated to represent said district as a producer member or alternate producer member on the committee. In the event any such nominee is engaged as a producer in more than one district, such producer may be a nominee for only one district. One or more producers may be nominated for each such producer member or alternate member position.
(ii) Each such producer whose name is offered in nomination shall be given the opportunity to provide the committee a short statement outlining qualifications and desire to represent on the committee independent producers or producers who are affiliated with cooperative marketing association(s) handling less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year. These brief statements, together with a ballot and voting instructions, shall be mailed to all independent producers and producers who are affiliated with cooperative marketing associations handling less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year of record with the committee in each district. The producer receiving the highest number of votes shall be designated as the first member nominee, the second highest shall be designated as the second member nominee or alternate member nominee, as the case may be, until nominees for all member and alternate member positions have been filled.
(iii) Each independent producers or producers affiliated with cooperative marketing association(s) handling less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year shall cast only one vote with respect to each position for which nominations are to be made. Write-in candidates shall be accepted. The person receiving the most votes with respect to each position to be filled, in accordance with paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, shall be the person to be certified to the Secretary as the nominee. The committee may, subject to the approval of the Secretary, establish rules and regulations to effectuate this section.
(3) One or more eligible handlers for each handler position to be filled may be proposed for nomination to represent independent handlers and cooperative marketing association(s) which acquired less than 10 percent of the total raisin acquisitions during the preceding crop year on the Committee. Nominations shall be made by and from handlers, or employees, representatives or agents of handlers falling within such groups. Each handler shall cast only one vote with respect to each position for which nomination is to be made. The person receiving the most votes with respect to each handler member of handler alternate member position shall be the person to be certified to the Secretary as the nominee for each such position.
(4) Each vote cast shall be on behalf of the person voting, the person's agent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and representatives. Voting at each handler meeting shall be in person. The results of each ballot at each handler meeting shall be announced at that meeting.
(5) Each nomination shall be certified by the Committee to the Secretary on or before April 5 immediately preceding the commencement of the term of office of the member or alternate member position for which the nomination is certified. [48 FR 32975, July 20, 1983, as amended at 54 FR 34137, Aug. 18, 1989]