assessment. 1. A referendum may be called to abolish the council and terminate the imposition of the assessment. The secretary shall call,and the department shall conduct, the referendum upon the department’s receipt of a petition requesting the referendum. The petition must be signed by at least twenty eligible voters or fiftypercent of all eligible voters, whichever is greater. In order to be an eligible voter under this section, a producer must have paid an assessment in the year of the referendum. The referendum shall be conducted within sixty days following receipt of the petition. The petitioners shall guarantee payment of the cost of the referendum by providing evidence of financial security as required by the department. 2. The following procedures shall apply to a referendum conducted pursuant to this section: a. The department shall publish a notice of the referendum for a period of not less than fivedays in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the state. The notice shall state the voting places, period of time for voting, and other information deemed necessary by the department. A referendum shall not be commenced until five days after the last date of publication. b. Upon signing a statement certifying to the secretary that the producer is an eligible voter,a producer isentitled to onevote in each referendumconducted pursuant to this section. The department may conduct the referendum by mail, electronic means, or a general meeting of eligible voters. The department shall conduct the referendum and count and tabulate the ballots filed during the referendum within thirty days following the close of the referendum. (1) Ifa majority of the totalnumber of eligible voters who vote in the referendum approve the continuation of the council and the imposition of the assessment, the council and the imposition of the assessment shall continue as provided in this chapter. (2) Ifa majority of the total number of eligible voters who vote in the referendum held pursuant to this section do not approve continuing the council and the imposition of the assessment, the secretary shall terminate the collection of the assessment on the first day of the year for which the referendum was to continue. The secretary shall terminate the activitiesof the council in an orderly manner as soon as practicable after the determination. An additional referendum may be held as provided in section 184.2. However, the subsequent referendum shall not be held within one hundred eighty days. CS95, §196A.4C C99, §184.5
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