1.     a.    When petitioned to do so by fifteen percent of the producers, the council shall conduct a referendum among the producers of the state to determine the amount by which the assessment imposed by this chapter should be raised or lowered.

b.    To be considered a valid petition, no more than fifty percent of the producers who signed the petition may reside in one district.

2.    The council shall determine the date on which in-person voting will take place.

3.    The council shall prepare the ballots and make the ballots available to producers at each county extension office in the state.

4.    Each ballot must include a statement indicating:

a.    The date, time, and location at which the council will open and tabulate the ballots; and

b.    That any producer may be present at the time the ballots are opened and tabulated.

5.     a.    Beginning no sooner than thirty days before the date established for in-person voting in accordance with subsection 2, the council also shall provide absentee ballots upon request to producers who expect to be absent from their county of residence on the date established for in-person voting in accordance with subsection 2.

b.    The council shall include with each absentee ballot requested a form indicating that the producer is eligible to participate in the referendum. The form must be signed by the absentee producer and returned with the absentee ballot.

c.    In order to be counted, an absentee ballot and the voter’s statement of eligibility must be received by the council at least forty-eight hours before the time at which the council stated it would open and tabulate ballots.

6.    If a majority of the producers voting upon the question are in favor of the proposed change, the council shall submit proposed legislation to the next regular session of the legislative assembly to amend this chapter.