(a) Any qualified producer organization may make application to the commissioner requesting a referendum of producers on forms prescribed by the commissioner for the purpose of determining whether an assessment of the amount specified in § 43-32-202 can be levied, collected and disbursed under this part.

(b) Within thirty (30) days of receipt of an application requesting a referendum, the commissioner shall make a determination of whether or not the petitioner is a qualified producer organization and, upon this determination, shall set a date for the referendum, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days after receipt of the application, and shall publish by any reasonable means, the date of the referendum, the polling places and the hours they will be open, the amount of the proposed assessment, and the date the assessment shall begin, if adopted.

(c)

(1) Any referendum held under this part shall be conducted statewide, under the control and direction of the commissioner. The polling place in each county shall be the offices of the University of Tennessee agriculture extension service. All ballots shall be provided at the polling place. All voting shall be by secret ballot.

(2)

(A) Each person seeking to vote in the referendum shall be required to file an affidavit stating that the person is a producer as defined in this chapter. Upon signing an affidavit, that person shall be eligible to vote. The question to be decided in the referendum shall be in the following form:

(B) The affirmative vote of the majority of the number of votes cast adopts the proposed assessment.

(3) Within ten (10) days after the referendum, the commissioner shall canvass the votes and publicly announce the result of the referendum.