Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
After the director has ruled favorably for a proposed marketing program or amendment to a
program, he shall hold a referendum in accordance with division (A) of section
924.06 of the Revised
Code.
(A) Referendum
:
(1) The director shall designate three
consecutive business days to conduct in person
voting at polling places.
(2)
If opting to vote via mail,
return
mail ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight on the last day of the
referendum and be received by the teller's committee
within ten days from the closing date of the referendum.
(B) Polling places:
(1) The director shall designate at least two
polling places .
(2) The addresses and telephone numbers of
each polling place shall be published in the public notice of the referendum
, as well as the dates and
times each polling place is to be open.
(3) The director may designate, in addition
to the polling place in paragraph (B)(1) of this rule, polling places at
meetings of producer associations or general farm organizations. These polling
places shall be:
(a) Exempt from telephone
request for ballots as specified in division (E) of section
924.06 of the Revised Code;
(b) Published
in the public
notice, along with the dates and times
each
polling place is to be open; and
(c)
Required to admit producers , without fee, for the purpose of voting.
(C) Impartial observer:
(1) The director shall appoint an impartial
observer at each polling place who will be ineligible to vote in the
referendum.
(2) The impartial
observer shall determine the eligibility of each voter
and upon finding issues with
eligibility, shall report such issues of eligibility to the
director.
(D)
Petition forms, ballot applications, and ballots:
(1) The question(s) to be voted upon shall be
presented to voters in common, understandable terms.
(2)
The director may determine information required on all petitions, ballot
applications, ballots and refund forms. These may include:
(a) Name and address of producer;
(b) Name and address of voter;
(c) County of residence;
(d) Certification statement signed by voter
as to eligibility to vote; or
(e)
Social security or tax identification number on refund forms.
(3) The director shall approve all ballots, ballot
application forms, petitions, and refund forms.
(4) Signatures on
petition forms shall be within twelve consecutive months from date of
presentation to the director.
(E) The director shall
appoint a teller's committee to count the ballots and determine the results of
the referendum in accordance with section
924.06 of the Revised
Code.
(F) In situations where a national or regional
marketing program is in conflict with a state marketing program, the director,
subject to the approval of the operating committee, may make minor technical
changes in the state program so long as the intent of the program does not
change.