A. The Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Producers, Incorporated, shall call the original election of members to the Sheep and Wool Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission. All subsequent elections shall be called by the Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission. All producers who have paid a fee during the current year, as provided in the Sheep and Wool Producers Act, shall be eligible to vote in the election of members of the Commission, if no part of the fee has been returned to the producer by the Commission. All sheep and wool producers in the state, as defined by the Sheep and Wool Producers Act, shall be eligible to vote in the election of the initial members of the Commission. The election of subsequent at large Commission members shall be by mail as provided in subsection E of this section.

B. Within thirty (30) days after the establishment of the Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission, the Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Producers, Incorporated, shall call meetings of the sheep and wool producers in each of the districts established in Section 18-183 of this title, for the purpose of electing members of the Oklahoma Sheep and Wool Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission. A producer shall be entitled to vote for candidates for the Commission to represent his or her respective district, the state at large and a major purebred breed. It shall be the responsibility of the producer to prove eligibility to vote.

C. Members of the Commission shall be elected as follows:

1. The members representing Districts I, IV and the state at large for terms ending June 30, 1974;

2. The members representing Districts II and III for terms ending June 30, 1975; and

3. The two members representing the major purebred breeds for terms ending June 30, 1976.

As the terms of office of such members expire, their successors shall be elected for terms of three (3) years as provided in this section.

D. Each member shall hold office until the successor is elected and has qualified. A member elected to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of a term of a member separated from the Commission for any cause shall be elected for the remainder of the term of the member whose office has been so vacated.

E. 1. Ballots shall be published at the request of the Commission in any market news service made available to Oklahoma sheep and wool producers. Nominations for election to the Commission for the three at large members shall be published in the market news service in April of each year that a term of office for a Commissioner expires or is vacated with a deadline for selecting three of those nominated for the final runoff election. The names of the three persons receiving the greatest number of votes shall be published in the market news service which is published in May. Ballots for voting for the Commission member shall be published in the market news service in June with a July 1st deadline for mailing the ballots.

2. The ballots shall be counted by the president of the State Board of Agriculture or designee selected from the Oklahoma sheep and wool producers industry and the chairman of the Commission or designee selected from the Commission. The Commission shall promulgate rules for determining the outcome of a tie vote in the election.

3. Nominations for the District members of the Commission shall be made only from sheep and wool producers in that District. Nominations for the members of the Commission to be elected at large shall be made from sheep and wool producers statewide.

Added by Laws 1973, c. 164, § 5, emerg. eff. May 16, 1973. Amended by Laws 1984, c. 93, § 3, emerg. eff. April 4, 1984; Laws 2001, c. 146, § 63, emerg. eff. April 30, 2001. Renumbered from § 1505 of this title by Laws 2001, c. 146, § 253, emerg. eff. April 30, 2001.