Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking Section 33-49-440, lines 6-23 on page 5, and inserting:
/ "Section 33-49-440. Each A member is entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting. Voting must be in person but, if the bylaws provide, also may be by proxy. If the bylaws provide for voting by proxy they also must prescribe the conditions under which proxy voting may be exercised. A person may not vote as proxy unless he is a member of the cooperative and may not vote as proxy for more than three members at a meeting of the members. For meetings that include the election of cooperative trustees, polling locations must be open for a minimum of four hours.
When at least one of the races for cooperative trustee is contested prior to the annual meeting, each cooperative must provide a method by which members of the cooperative may cast a ballot in an election for trustees on a day other than, and before, the annual meeting day. The method for this alternative early voting should allow for voting by cooperative members from the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and should include reasonable accommodations for elderly, disabled, or infirmed members as permitted by this section." /
Amend the bill further, as and if amended, by striking Section 33-49-645, lines 4-11 on page 11, and inserting:
/ "Section 33-49-645. (A) In the conduct of an election authorized by this chapter or in the bylaws of the cooperative, including the annual election of trustees, a cooperative must prohibit advocacy or campaigning within a distance of the polling place that reasonably ensures that cooperative members are able to vote without harassment, intimidation, or interference. The polling place, for purposes of this section, is the location where votes are collected for tabulation.
(B)(1) In the conduct of the annual election of trustees, to the extent that a cooperative's bylaws provide for members to become candidates for the board of trustees by petition, the number of signatures required must not exceed one percent of the total cooperative membership.
(2) If the cooperative's bylaws providing for members to become candidates for the board of trustees by petition require the collection of more than 50 signatures of cooperative members, the cooperative bylaws must also provide for a process allowing those signatures to be collected electronically.
(C) In the conduct of the annual election of trustees, any member or district information provided to an incumbent trustee for use in campaigning for the board of trustees must be provided to all candidates for the board of trustees on the same terms and conditions." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.