(a) Ballots in all board elections and referenda will be counted at the headquarters of the department by a canvassing committee appointed by the commissioner.
(b) In all elections, results will be certified by the canvassing committee and submitted to the commissioner of agriculture for verification.
(c) Votes will be tabulated and recorded by eradication zone, or if concerning an area being added to a zone, the area specified in the petition submitted to the department, with the following tabulations recorded for each zone or area:
  (1) total number of valid ballots;
  (2) total number of invalid ballots;
  (3) total votes for each proposition;
  (4) total votes against each proposition;
  (5) percentage voting for each proposition;
  (6) if applicable, total cotton acreage in the zone or area;
  (7) if applicable, total cotton acreage voting for each proposition;
  (8) if applicable, total cotton acreage voting against each proposition;
  (9) if applicable, percentage of cotton acreage voting for each proposition; and
  (10) if applicable, total votes for each board candidate including write-ins.
(d) Upon completion of canvassing of the ballots, the ballots and other canvassing materials shall be stored at the department's offices located in Austin for a period of 30 days. Thereafter, the ballots and other canvassing materials shall be destroyed.

Source Note: The provisions of this §3.5 adopted to be effective August 9, 1993, 18 TexReg 4949; amended to be effective December 31, 1993, 18 TexReg 9754; amended to be effective August 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 6891; amended to be effective January 8, 1998, 23 TexReg 128; amended to be effective June 26, 2023, 48 TexReg 3405