48-4433. District elections; nominating petitions

A. A candidate for election to the board as a division director shall be nominated by a petition that is signed by at least five hundred qualified electors of the division in which the candidate resides and that is filed as prescribed by title 16, chapter 3.

B. If a division is located wholly in one county, the nominating petition shall be filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors or the elections officer of that county as prescribed by title 16, chapter 3.

C. If a division is located in two or more counties, the nominating petition shall be filed as prescribed by title 16, chapter 3, with the county election officer of the county with the highest number of registered voters in the district. The county election officer shall immediately notify the boards of supervisors of each county included in the division. The board of supervisors so notified shall provide for the manner of voting and conduct of the election as provided for in subsection D of this section.

D. The names of the candidates for election to the board as division directors shall be included on the general election ballot of the division in which the candidate resides, without party designation. The manner of voting and conducting the election for the division directors shall conform to the provisions of law relating to the general election of county officers.

E. The procedures for nomination and election of at large directors shall be established by the board by rule adopted within sixty days after the appointment of the initial board subject to the following:

1. Only district members are eligible to vote for at large directors.

2. Each district member is entitled to cast three votes for each acre-foot of replenishment obligation as computed for that district member pursuant to section 48-4463 during the four years preceding the election. In the initial election of at large directors, each district member is entitled to cast three votes for each acre-foot of the replenishment obligation that would have been computed if the district had existed for the entire period between January 1 of the fourth year preceding the calendar year in which the district is established and December 31 of the year preceding the year in which the election takes place.

3. Each district member may cast its votes as computed under paragraph 2 for three different candidates, may cumulate its votes for one candidate or may distribute its votes in any combination among three or fewer candidates.

4. The three candidates who receive the most votes shall serve as at large directors for the district for the prescribed term of office.

F. Title 16, chapter 2, article 3 does not apply to any election held pursuant to this chapter.

G. All expenses for the election of division directors incurred pursuant to this section are the responsibility of the county or counties involved. If a division is located in two or more counties, election expenses for that division shall be shared proportionally based on the number of qualified electors of each county that are residents of the division. All expenses for the election of at large directors are the responsibility of the district.

H. Candidates for election to the board and their campaign committees shall register with and report to the secretary of state and otherwise comply with the requirements of title 16, chapter 6 regarding elections under this section.