Upon certification of the commission, the secretary shall appoint the producer and handler members of the initial commission’s board of directors from a list of eligible persons submitted to the secretary, or shall contact all eligible producers and handlers in each district by mail, or shall call meetings in each district for the purpose of nominating and electing persons to the commission. To be eligible for election, nominees, who may be producers or handlers, shall present to the secretary a nomination petition with the signatures of at least five eligible persons from the district from which the nominee is seeking election. Eligible persons may be nominated and elected from any district in which they produce or handle apples. Only eligible producers may vote for nominees, and each eligible producer may cast one vote in each district in which he or she produces apples. The volume of apples marketed by eligible producers who vote shall not be considered when tabulating the votes to elect members and alternate members to the commission.