(a)
Within 45 days of the effective date of this chapter, the director shall establish a list of producers eligible to vote on the implementation of this chapter. In establishing the list, the director may require that producers submit the names and mailing addresses of all known producers. The director shall receive suggestions for inclusion on that list from any organization of producers, and may verify the eligibility of any person so suggested. The director also may require that the information provided include the quantity of flowers produced by each producer or, in the alternative, may establish procedures for receiving the information at the time of the referendum vote conducted pursuant to Section 77971. The request for the information shall be in writing, and the requested information shall be filed within 10 days following receipt of the request.
(b)
Any producer whose name does not appear upon the appropriate list may have his or her name placed on the list by filing with the director a signed statement identifying himself or herself as a producer. The absence of a producer’s name from the list does not exempt the producer from paying assessments and does not invalidate any industry votes conducted pursuant to this article.
(c)
Proponents and opponents of the commission may contact producers on the lists in a form and manner prescribed by the director so long as all expenses associated with the contacts are paid in advance.
(d)
Any proponent or opponent of the commission may submit to the director a statement of his or her position on the matter, and the director shall include these statements with the referendum ballots.