County 

Committee 

Elections

Overview

Farm Service Agency (FSA) county 

committees are a critical component 

of the day-to-day operations of 

FSA and allow grassroots input and 

local administration of federal farm 

programs.

Farmers and ranchers who are 

elected to serve on FSA county 

committees apply using their 

judgment and knowledge to help 

with the decisions necessary to 

administer FSA programs in their 

counties, ensuring the needs of 

local producers are met. FSA county 

committees operate within official 

federal regulations and provide local 

input on:

• Income safety-net loans and 

payments, including setting 

county average yields for 

commodities;

• Conservation programs;

• Incentive, indemnity, and 

disaster payments for some 

commodities;

• Emergency programs; and

• Payment eligibility.

Every eligible agricultural producer 

should participate in FSA county 

committee elections–whether a 

beginning or established producer, 

historically underserved producer 

(minority and women), or whether 

a large or small operation–

because FSA county committees 

are producers’ link with the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Election Period

MidJune 

The nomination 

period begins. 

Request nomination 

forms from the local 

FSA county office or 

obtain online at 

fsa.usda.gov/

elections.

Early 

August 

Nomination 

forms are filed 

at the local FSA 

county office.

Early 

November 

Ballots mailed to 

eligible voters.

Early

December 

Voted ballots are 

returned to the 

local FSA county 

office.

January

1

Newly elected 

county committee 

members take 

office.

Local Administrative Areas

A county or multi-county jurisdiction 

served by an FSA county committee 

is divided into 3 to 11 local 

administrative areas (LAA). Each LAA 

is represented by one member on 

the FSA county committee. A person 

may only vote in one LAA (the LAA 

in which he or she participates or 

cooperates in FSA programs or 

programs administered by FSA).

Individuals can identify the LAA they 

or their farming interests are located 

in via a county committee election 

GIS locator tool on fsa.usda.gov/

elections.

Multiple Farm Interests in 

Same County or Area

Eligible voters who participate or 

cooperate in FSA programs on 

separate farms in more than one 

LAA in the same county or multicounty jurisdiction may only cast one 

ballot. Such voters must choose only 

one LAA in which they wish to cast 

their ballots.

Multi-County Jurisdictions

Eligible voters with separate farming 

interests in more than one county 

or in more than one FSA county 

committee jurisdiction (which may 

include more than one county) are 

eligible to vote in each election 

conducted for each jurisdiction’s 

committee. Voting is limited to one 

LAA in which farming interests 

are located per each FSA county 

committee jurisdiction. Only one 

vote may be cast in each county or 

multi-county jurisdiction.

NOVEMBER 2023

*An election calendar can be found at fsa.usda.gov/elections or by contacting your local FSA office.
Who is Eligible to Hold 

Office?

To hold office as an FSA county 

committee member, a person must 

meet each of the basic eligibility 

requirements described below:

1. Be eligible to vote in an FSA 

county committee election.

2. Reside in the LAA that is up for 

election.

3. A person must not have been:

• Removed or disqualified from:

– FSA county committee 

membership or alternate 

membership, or

– FSA employment.

• Removed for cause from any 

public office or have been 

convicted of fraud, larceny, 

embezzlement or any other 

felony.

• Dishonorably discharged 

from any branch of the armed 

services.

Nominations

Agricultural producers who 

participate or cooperate in an 

FSA program may be nominated 

for candidacy for the county 

committee. Individuals may 

nominate themselves or others as a 

candidate. In addition, organizations 

representing underserved (minority 

and women) farmers or ranchers may 

nominate candidates.

To become a nominee, eligible 

individuals must sign nomination 

form FSA-669A. The form includes a 

statement that the nominee agrees 

to serve if elected. Nomination 

forms are filed in the FSA office 

that administers a producer’s farm 

records and is available at the FSA 

county office or online at fsa.usda.

gov/elections.

All nomination forms must be 

postmarked or received in the local 

FSA county office by the August 

deadline.

Who Can Vote

The following requirements must 

be met for a person to be eligible to 

vote in county committee elections: 

1. Be of legal voting age or, if not of 

legal voting age, supervise and 

conduct the farming operation of 

an entire farm. 

2. Have an interest in a farm or 

ranch as either: 

• An individual who meets one or 

more of the following:

– Is eligible and capable to vote 

in one’s own right.

– Is a partner of a general 

partnership.

– Is a member of a joint 

venture.

– Is an authorized 

representative of a legal 

entity.

3. Participates or cooperates in any 

FSA program that is provided for 

by law. A cooperating producer 

is someone who has provided 

information about their farming 

or ranching operation(s) but may 

not have applied or received FSA 

program benefits.

2
Customers who are uncertain about 

their eligibility to vote in the FSA 

county committee election should 

contact their local FSA office. 

Affirmation of eligibility to vote must 

be determined in order for a vote to 

count in an election. 

Ballots will be mailed to eligible 

voters in early November and must 

be returned to the FSA county office 

or postmarked by the December 

deadline. During the election period, 

individuals not receiving a ballot in 

the mail may obtain a ballot directly 

from their FSA county office. 

American Indian 

Tribal Lands

Members of American Indian tribes 

holding agricultural land are eligible 

to vote in an FSA county committee 

election if the tribal member meets 

the voting requirements. For 

purposes of FSA county committee 

elections, every member of an 

American Indian tribe is considered 

an agricultural landowner if the land 

on which the tribal member’s voting 

eligibility is based is tribally owned or 

held in trust by the United States for 

the tribe, even if the individual does 

not personally produce a crop on 

that land. Members should contact 

their local FSA county office to 

update their voter eligibility. 

For additional information on voting 

eligibility for members of American 

Indian tribes, visit fsa.usda.gov/

elections.

Interpretation of Voting 

Eligibility for Spouses in 

Community Property States

In community property states, the 

spouse of an eligible voter is also 

eligible to vote.

Uniform Guidelines

USDA issued uniform guidelines 

for county committee elections 

to help ensure that FSA county 

committees fairly represent the 

agricultural producers of a county or 

multi-county jurisdiction, especially 

underserved (minority and women) 

producers. Targeted underserved 

producers are African-Americans, 

American Indians or Alaska Natives, 

Hispanics, Asian Americans, and 

Native Hawaiians or other Pacific 

Islanders. In addition to minority and 

women producers, USDA strongly 

encourages beginning farmers 

to actively seek a position on a 

county committee. The guidelines 

govern the FSA county committee 

election process and are designed to 

increase participation of underserved 

(minorities and women).

The following are just some of the 

specifics of the guidelines:

• If no valid nominations are filed, 

the Secretary of Agriculture may 

nominate up to two individuals 

to be placed on the ballot.

• FSA county committees 

annually review LAA boundaries 

to ensure the fair representation 

of minority and women 

producers in their county or 

multi-county jurisdictions.

• FSA county offices locate and 

recruit eligible candidates 

identified as minority and 

women farmers and ranchers 

as potential nominees for the 

FSA county committee elections 

through outreach and publicity, 

including the development of 

partnerships with communitybased organizations.

The guidelines can be found at fsa.

usda.gov/elections.

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Appointed Voting Members

The Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 provides 

the Secretary of Agriculture with 

the authority to appoint targeted 

underserved committee members 

with voting privileges to serve on 

FSA county committees in county 

or multi-county jurisdictions that 

lack fair representation from those 

groups. Secretarial appointees do 

not replace elected members but 

join them as voting members on 

the committee. Individuals serving 

as non-voting minority advisors are 

encouraged to submit a nomination 

form. These forms are also accepted 

from community-based organizations 

representing targeted underserved 

producers. Targeted underserved 

voting members are appointed by 

the Secretary from the nominations 

received.

Role of Advisors

In addition to elected or appointed 

members, FSA county committees 

may also include non-voting minority 

advisors. Advisors are appointed 

to county committees to ensure 

underserved (minority or women) 

producers are fairly represented. 

Advisors play an important role 

by providing diverse viewpoints 

and by representing the interests 

of underserved (minorities and 

women) in decisions made by county 

committees. Anyone interested 

in serving as a county committee 

advisor may submit their request 

in writing to the local FSA county 

office. FSA state committees 

officially appoint advisors who are 

recommended by county committees 

or community-based organizations.

Discrimination Prohibited

USDA prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, 

age, disability, and where applicable, 

sex, marital status, familial status, 

parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because 

all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance 

program.

For More Information

This fact sheet is for informational 

purposes only; other restrictions 

may apply. For program specifics or 

additional information about FSA 

county committees, visit a local 

USDA Service Center or the FSA 

county committee webpage at fsa.

usda.gov/elections. 

Find your Local USDA Service Center

Find your local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov/service-locator.

fsa.usda.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.