If a State association selects nominees for appointment to the Delegate Body through an election, it shall be conducted in the following manner:

Elections shall be administered by the Board and the Board shall determine the timing of any elections.

Producers who are residents of that State may be named as candidates for election to be nominees for appointment to the Delegate Body:

By a nominating committee of producers in that State appointed by the Board; or

The number of pork producers in a State shall be determined by the Department based on the latest available Department information, which tabulates by State the number of farming operations with porcine animals.

To be eligible to vote in an election to nominate producer members from a State, a person must:

Be a producer who is a resident of that State;

Have paid all assessments due pursuant to this subpart; and

Not have demanded any refund of an assessment paid pursuant to this subpart in the period since the selection of the previous Delegate Body.

The Board shall cause notices of any election to be published at least one week prior to the election in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in that State, and in pork production and agricultural trade publications. The notices shall set forth the period of time and places for voting and such other information as the Board considers necessary.

The identity of any person who voted and the manner in which any person voted shall be kept confidential.