[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 28, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 70769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30333]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 229 / Tuesday, November 28, 2000 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 70769]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 1230

[No. LS-00-12]


Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Program: 
Procedures for the Conduct of Referendum

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Clarification of final rule.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this action is to clarify the intent of the 
requirement in the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information 
Program: Procedures for the Conduct of Referendum, that the telephone 
number of a person voting in the pork checkoff referendum be included 
on the registration and certification form. The person's telephone 
number was for the administrative convenience of Farm Service Agency 
(FSA) office personnel in processing these forms. A person's otherwise 
valid ballot will not be invalidated if the person's phone number is 
not included on the registration and certification form.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 28, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph L. Tapp, Chief; Marketing 
Programs Branch, Room 2627-S; Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA; 
Stop 0251; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0251; 
telephone number 202/720-1115, fax 202/720-1125, or by e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Pork Promotion, Research, and 
Consumer Information Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 4801-4819), a pork 
referendum was conducted during the period August 18, 2000, through 
September 21, 2000. The referendum was conducted pursuant to referendum 
rules published July 13, 2000, [65 FR 43498] Pork Promotion, Research, 
and Consumer Information Program: Procedures for the Conduct of 
Referendum: final rule. The referendum was conducted among eligible 
pork producers who owned and sold one or more hogs or pigs and 
importers who imported pigs, hogs, pork or pork products to determine 
whether they favored the continuation of the Pork Promotion, Research, 
and Consumer Information Order. Producer in-person voting in the 
referendum was held September 19, 20, 21, 2000, at county FSA offices. 
Producer absentee ballots were available at those offices from August 
18, 2000, through September 18, 2000. Importers could obtain ballots 
from the FSA headquarters office in Washington, DC, from August 18, 
2000, through September 21, 2000. The representative period to 
establish voter eligibility was the period from August 18, 1999, 
through August 17, 2000.
    Persons who wished to vote in the pork checkoff referendum had to 
complete and sign a registration and certification form that required 
the minimum information necessary to establish the identity of the 
person voting and to permit other interested persons an opportunity to 
challenge a person's vote. The registration and certification forms--
Form LS-72-2, In-Person Registration and Certification (Envelope); Form 
LS-73, Pork Producer Absentee Voting; and Form LS-76, Pork Importer 
Mail Voting--required that a person include their name and address, or 
the name and address of the entity they represented if applicable, and 
the person's telephone number.
    During the conduct of the referendum a question was raised 
concerning whether a ballot would be invalid if no telephone number was 
included on the registration and certification form. The telephone 
number was for the FSA county offices' administrative convenience to 
contact the voter in the event that such contact became necessary. The 
Agricultural Marketing Service never intended to invalidate an 
otherwise complete ballot simply because there was no phone number.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 4801-4819.

    Dated: November 22, 2000.
Kenneth C. Clayton,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 00-30333 Filed 11-24-00; 9:42 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P