Use your voice
Jan 09, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC — Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that eligible U.S. farmers have been sent ballots for the FSA County Committee elections, which should be arriving in the mail this week.
Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots postmarked by February 2, 2026, for those ballots to be counted. Newly elected members will take office on March 2, 2026.
“Voting in your local county committee election isn’t just a ballot – it’s your voice shaping how federal programs impact your livelihood,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “County committees guide decisions on disaster assistance, conservation, and farm program delivery at the local level, and every producer who serves on an FSA county committee helps ensure the decisions the committee makes reflect the needs of their neighbors and their community.”
Voting eligibility is limited to producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program. Eligible producers that do not receive a ballot by mail are encouraged to pick one up at their local FSA office.
USA Rice encourages producers to participate in their FSA County Committee elections by completing and returning their ballots by the postmarked deadline of February 2, 2026.