(a) The election period will be conducted in a defined period as announced by FSA. During the election period, all current producers on a farm must unanimously make the irrevocable election as described in Sec. 1412.71 to preserve the payment eligibility of all producers on the farm for 2014 and determine whether the default election (PLC) or elected option (either a combination of ARC-CO and PLC or ARC-IC) will apply to the farm.
(b) If an election is submitted by all current producers on a farm as specified in Sec. 1412.71 and paragraph (a) of this section, that election will be recognized as valid for the farm in all 2014 through 2018 crop years unless any of the following occur:
(1) The election is rescinded or terminated by any current producer on the farm in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section during the election period;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 current producers during the election period;
(3) A subsequent valid election by all current 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 the election period, a current 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election will be determined to exist--even if there was another previous election in effect before the election that is rescinded, or terminated as specified in with this paragraph).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no obligation to notify producers, owners, current producers, or current owners on a farm that an election has been rescinded or terminated. Current producers of a farm are solely responsible for filing a valid election during the 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 current producers, current owners, producers, or owners or new producers or owners of whether or not a valid election exists or is in place or whether any current producer has rescinded or terminated an election. However, FSA will respond to inquiries regarding the status of election of a farm by any current producer or current 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 current 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 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, FSA will not consider any equitable relief. There are no late-file provisions for election.