The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging farmers and ranchers in the Prince Edward/Nottoway (PE/N) Farm Service Agency (FSA) area to make their voices heard by voting in the current FSA County Committee elections.

The USDA began mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers on Monday. Producers must return ballots to their FSA office by Dec. 5 to ensure their vote is counted. Each committee, including PE/N’s, has three to 11 members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. County committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, and emergency programs and eligibility.

The candidates in this year’s PE/N election are Daniel E. Glenn, Tola G. Morgan and Major R. Owens.

Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the county committee election. Farmers and ranchers who supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, but are not of legal voting age, also may be eligible to vote.

Farmers and ranchers should have begun receiving their ballots this week. Ballots include the names of candidates running for the local committee election. FSA has modified the ballot, making it easily identifiable and less likely to be overlooked.

Voters in local administrative area One (LAA-I), which is comprised of the Prospect, Buffalo, Farmville and Hampden voting districts in Prince Edward County, who do not receive ballots in the coming week can pick one up at the local FSA office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 5. Newly-elected committee members will take office Jan. 1.

For more information, visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or contact the PE/N FSA office at (434) 392-4906.