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United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Specialty Crops Program

California Marketing Field Office

2202 Monterey Street, Suite 102-B

Fresno, CA 93721

PISTACHIO

BALLOT

__________

TO PISTACHIO PRODUCERS:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is submitting, for producer consideration, proposed 

amendments to Marketing Order No. 983, regulating the handling of pistachios grown in 

California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The proposed amendments will not be made effective 

unless they are favored by at least two-thirds of the eligible producers voting in this Referendum

or by producers representing at least two-thirds of the volume of pistachios voted in the 

Referendum. If approved, the proposed amendments would:

(SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS TO BE PROVIDED HERE)

 A Producer Referendum Ballot is on the reverse side of this page. Also enclosed are:

1) Voting Instructions and Rules Governing Producer Eligibility to Vote; 

2) The news release announcing the referendum; and

3) A copy of the Referendum Order dated (_______, 20___).

The voting period for the referendum is (_______, 20___) through (_______, 20___). Please vote 

promptly because ballots postmarked later than (_______, 20___) cannot be opened or counted. 

Each ballot will be held in strict confidence.

___________________, Referendum Agent

Phone: (559) 487-5901

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to collection 

of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0215. The 

time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing 
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instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of 

information.

PRODUCER REFERENDUM BALLOT

Marketing Order No. 983

Pistachios Grown in California, Arizona and New Mexico

Please read the enclosed VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES GOVERNING PRODUCER 

ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE before completing this ballot.

A. This referendum is for amendment of the marketing order. Indicate your vote by placing an ‘X’ in the 

appropriate box.

 

YES



NO

 1) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 2) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



YES



NO



NO



3) a. Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

 b. Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 4) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 5) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 6) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 7) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 8) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 9) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?

YES



NO

 10) Do you favor amending the marketing order to ______?
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VOTER CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY STATEMENT

B. I hereby certify that I am an eligible producer of pistachios and that during the representative period

(______, 20___), through (______, 20___), I produced:

______________________ on _____________ in ______________________________ in ____________________

Pounds (assessable weight) Acres County/Counties State/States

(SIGNATURE REQUIRED BELOW – SECTION D)

C. Producer’s Name Phone Number 

Name of Business 

Mailing Address 

City State Zip 

D. If this ballot is cast by an officer or employee of a partnership, corporation, association or other business 

unit, my signature below further certifies that I am duly authorized to vote on behalf of the producing entity 

name on this ballot and that I will submit evidence of such authority at the request of an Agent of the 

Secretary.

Partnership LLC Corporation Association Other 

Signature* Title

If Partnership or Joint Venture, list name(s).

E. I hereby certify that the information I provided on this ballot is accurate and correct to the best of 

my knowledge.

Signature* Title

*Your signature certifies that you have the authority to take such action and will submit supplementary evidence of such authority at 

the request of an agent of the Secretary of Agriculture. The information provided in this ballot is required to determine voter 

eligibility and vote of California, Arizona and New Mexico producers. 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, 

family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in 

any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by 

program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in 

languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and 

provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your 

completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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PISTACHIO BALLOT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

Specialty Crops Program

Marketing Field Office

2202 Monterey Street, Suite 102-B

Fresno, CA 93721

Referendum Agent

USDA-AMS-SCP-MFO

2202 MONTEREY STREET, SUITE 102-B

FRESNO, CA 93721

FOLD HERE, TAPE AT THE TOP, AND MAIL PROMPTLY 

PISTACHIO 

BALLOT

PLACE STAMP

HERE

POST OFFICE

WILL NOT

DELIVER

WITHOUT

POSTAGE
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VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES 

GOVERNING PRODUCER ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

I. VOTING PERIOD: (_______, 20___) through (_______, 20___).

II. REPRESENTATIVE PERIOD: (_______, 20___) through (_______, 20___).

III. PRODUCTION AREA: The States of California, Arizona and New Mexico.

IV. PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE: Any person who currently produces pistachios in any or all 

of the States of California, Arizona, or New Mexico, and produced such pistachios during the

representative period (_______, 20___) through (_______, 20___), is entitled to cast one ballot. 

Each separate business unit, partnership, family enterprise, corporation, association, estate, 

or firm is entitled to one vote.

“Producer” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other business unit 

who:

 Owns and farms land producing pistachios for market;

 is a renter or tenant of a farm producing pistachios for market; or

 is a landlord who received from a renter or tenant a portion of the production as rent for the 

land on which pistachios were produced for market. (A landlord who rents for cash, a lienholder or a person having only a financial interest in the crop is NOT eligible to vote.)

V. HOW TO VOTE:

A. Indicate your vote by placing an ‘X’ in the appropriate box.

B. Certify your pistachio production by listing the pounds of pistachios produced for market by 

you (or by the producer for whom this Ballot is cast) during the period (_______, 20___)

through (_______, 20___). 

C. Print or type your name, phone number, business name, and address.

D. Proxy voting is not authorized. If ballot is cast by an officer or employee of a partnership,

corporation, or other business unit, check box to indicate your business designation, and sign 

to indicate authority to vote. If partnership or joint venture, list names of partners.

E. Sign below the certification. Incomplete or unsigned ballots cannot be counted. Fold your 

ballot so the Referendum Agent’s address is displayed, seal with tape and mail to 

Referendum Agent, USDA-AMS-SCP-MFO, 2202 MONTEREY ST, SUITE 102-B, 

FRESNO, CA 93721. For further information, please call (______________________) or 

(______________________) at (_ _ _ - _ _ _ - _ _ _ _).

Ballots must be postmarked by (______, 20___).