Avocado and Kiwifruit Justification for Change

Change of Worksheet

OMB No. 0581-0189

Avocadoes Grown in Florida (7 CRF Part 915)

&

Kiwifruit Grown in California, Arizona, New Mexico (7 CFR Part 920)

January 2013

Grower Ballot, Handler Ballot, Nomination Form, Nomination Ballot

This change of worksheet addresses modifications to four forms currently approved under OMB No. 0581-0189.

The Avocado Grower Ballot and Avocado Handler Ballot are used by the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee) to locally administer the Federal marketing order and specifically by Avocado growers and handlers to select nominees to serve on the Committee.

The Kiwifruit Nomination Form and Kiwifruit Nomination Ballot are used by the Kiwifruit Administrative Committee (KAC) to locally administer the marketing order that regulates the handling of kiwifruit grown in California. The Kiwifruit marketing order was amended in 2010 and there is no longer a requirement to designate members and alternate member nominees to a specific Seat (Seat 1, Seat 2, etc.).  Thus, the KAC would like to revise the forms to allow nominations for any of the seats within a district that are up for nomination.

All changes are merely cosmetic. As a result, the hours per response for these forms would remain the same. Below is a justification for the changes to the ballots.

Avocado Grower Ballot: This ballot is used by avocado growers to cast their vote for no more than eight of the nominees listed. Where it previously stated “ballots must be postmarked by,” it will be modified to read “ballots must be received by.” The next sentence states that ballots received after that date will “be not” counted, will be grammatically corrected to read “not be.”

Avocado Handler Ballot: This ballot is used by avocado handlers to cast their vote for no more than six of the nominees listed. Where it previously stated “ballots must be postmarked by,” it will be modified to read “ballots must be received by.” The next sentence states that ballots received after that date will “be not” counted, will be grammatically corrected to read “not be.”

Kiwifruit Nomination Form: This form is used by the kiwifruit growers to nominate candidates to serve on the KAC.

Page 1: The old Nomination Form designates Seat 1 and Seat 2 and the respective incumbent member and incumbent alternate member spaces. The new Nomination Form allows space to note three Incumbent Members and three Incumbent Alternate members. Similarly, instead of specific Seat 1 and Seat 2 Member and Alternate member nominees, the new Nomination Form leaves space to nominate three members and three alternate members.

Page 2: Instead of Candidate Name, Member Candidate, Seat 1 and Seat 2, and Candidate Name, Alternate Member Candidate, Seat 1 and 2; the new Nomination Form does not designate a specific seat. On the old Nomination Form, there are four candidate slots, two for member candidates and two for alternate candidates, with space to give a candidate statement. On the new Nomination Form there are six candidate name slots, three for member candidates and three for alternate member candidates, with space to give a candidate statement.

Kiwifruit Nomination Ballot: This form is used by the kiwifruit growers to select member and alternate members. The currently approved Ballot was three pages long and the new Ballot is four pages long.

Page 1: On the old Ballot, it states “you may vote for one of the producer candidates listed in each category on the attached Ballot, or you may write in a candidate of your choice in the space provided (who must be an eligible kiwifruit producer).” On the new Ballot, this is changed to “you may vote for ______ of the producer candidates listed in each category on the attached Ballot, or you may write in up to candidates of your choice in the spaces provided (who must be eligible kiwifruit producers).”

Page 2: The old Ballot specified the seat number for the member and alternate member candidates and a space for a write-in candidate. The new Ballot allows for seven “vote for __ member candidate” spaces and three “write-in candidate, if desired,” spaces, followed by seven “vote for __ alternate member candidate” spaces and three “write-in alternate candidate, if desired” spaces.

On the bottom half of old Ballot, there is a Certification of Voter Eligibility. The Certification of Voter Eligibility has been placed on page 3 of the new Ballot.

Page 3 of Ballot (07-10) and Page 4 of Ballot (2012): The old Ballot states the Candidate Name, Member Candidate, for Seat 1 and 2 and the Candidate Name, Alternate Member Candidate, for Seat 1 and 2. This allows for four spaces for candidate statements.

The new Ballot has been modified to allow for six spaces for candidate statements, including three spaces for Candidate Name, Member Candidate (without reference to Seat number) and Candidate Name, Alternate Member Candidate (without reference to Seat number).