(a) Canvassing procedure. Canvassing of returned ballots shall take place as soon as possible after the opening of the FSA offices on the fifth day following the close of the referendum period. Such canvassing shall be in the presence of at least one member of the FSA county office for producer ballots or an FSA representative for importer ballots and shall be open to the public. The canvassing and ballots shall be handled in such a manner so that no member of the public may see how any person voted in the referendum. The county office or FSA representative shall supervise the opening of the sealed ballot box, the opening of the envelopes containing the ballots and a determination as to:
(1) The number of eligible voters favoring the Order and where necessary, the amount of cotton represented by them,
(2) The number of eligible voters disapproving the Order and, where necessary, the amount of cotton represented by them.
(3) The number of ballots cast by voters found to be ineligible to vote in the referendum, and
(4) The number of spoiled ballots. The ballots determined to be spoiled or cast by ineligible voters shall not be considered as approving or disapproving the Order, and the persons who cast such ballots shall not be regarded as participating in the referendum.
(b) Spoiled ballots. A ballot shall be considered as a spoiled ballot if:
(1) It is mutilated or marked in such a way that it is not possible to determine with certainty how the ballot was intended to be counted, or
(2) It does not contain the signature of the voter, or the voter's properly witnessed mark.
(c) Challenge of ballots. A producer ballot may be challenged by the member of the FSA county office and the importer ballot may be challenged by the representative of FSA. Before a challenged ballot is either counted or declared invalid, a determination shall be made by the FSA county office or representative of FSA as to the eligibility of the voter to vote in the referendum.