Idaho Code 42-5210 – Qualifications of Voters for District Elections
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
(1) Any ground water irrigator, and any nonirrigator who is a member for all purposes, within the proposed district shall be entitled to vote at any election held under the provisions of this chapter. The production of documentation of a water right as described in section 42-5201(16), Idaho Code, shall be sufficient evidence of ground water use for purposes of acting as an elector under this chapter. A representative of a ground water user shall be so designated by written proxy signed by the ground water user except that the vote of a state, city or county government may be cast by an elected or appointed official of the agency, or his designee. A corporation or partnership shall vote or otherwise act by a single individual who is authorized by the corporation or partnership to act on its behalf. A corporation or partnership must furnish the election officials a written designation stating the name of the individual who is authorized to vote and otherwise act for the corporation or partnership.
(2) Any ground water user who becomes a member of a district solely for mitigation purposes:
(a) Shall be entitled to vote only in those district elections concerning whether to incur indebtedness as specified in section 42-5234, Idaho Code; and
(b) Shall be ineligible to nominate directors or officers of the district, to serve in such capacities, or otherwise to participate in the governance of the district.
Terms Used In Idaho Code 42-5210
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Corporation: means a corporation or limited liability company. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- District: means a ground water district established, or to be established, pursuant to this chapter. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Ground water: when used in this chapter means water under the surface of the ground whatever may be the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving, as provided in section 42-230(a), Idaho Code. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Ground water irrigator: means a ground water user holding a ground water right for irrigation purposes within a ground water district. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Ground water user: means the legal or beneficial owner of a ground water right, or the user of a ground water right pursuant to lease or contract of a ground water right to divert ground water of the state for a beneficial use or purpose, except for those diverting under rights used solely for domestic or stock use as defined by sections 42-111 and 42-1401A, Idaho Code, and provided, that for purposes of this chapter, the term ground water user shall not include any ground water right held by or on behalf of an Indian tribe or by tribal members for diversion and use within an Indian reservation, ground water rights held by the United States or ground water rights held by the state of Idaho. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Member: means a ground water user whose lands, facilities and/or water rights are included in and subject to a ground water district and its policies. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Nonirrigator: means a ground water user holding a ground water right for commercial, municipal, or industrial purposes within a ground water district. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: means an individual, partnership, trust, estate, association, corporation, municipal corporation, the state of Idaho and any of its agencies, the United States, an Indian tribe, a public corporation, or any other public or private entity. See Idaho Code 42-5201
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories; and the words "United States" may include the District of Columbia and territories. See Idaho Code 73-114
- Water right: means the legal right to divert and beneficially use the public waters of the state of Idaho where such right is evidenced by a decree, a permit or a license issued by the department, a beneficial or constitutional use right evidenced by an adjudication claim or claim based on section 42-243, Idaho Code, or a right based on federal law. See Idaho Code 42-5201
(3) A nonirrigator may participate in the election to determine whether a district will be formed only according to the following provisions:
(a) The nonirrigator shall notify the judges of election in writing at least ten (10) working days prior to the date of the election that such person supports the formation of the district, elects to become either a member for all purposes, or a member only for mitigation purposes as described in section 42-5214, Idaho Code, should it be formed, and, by such notice, casts its vote(s) in favor of formation.
(b) The notification shall contain a legal description of the land through which the nonirrigator places ground waters to beneficial use, a statement of the amount of such person’s ground water right in cubic feet per second of diversions, and a copy of the ground water right documentation described in section 42-5201(16), Idaho Code.
(c) Once the judges of election have accepted the notification described in subsection (3)(b) of this section, they shall duly record the nonirrigator’s vote(s) in favor of district formation in the canvassing of votes carried out pursuant to section 42-5213, Idaho Code.
(d) If the voting results in the formation of the district, the nonirrigator who provided such notification thereafter shall be a full member or member for mitigation purposes of such district, whichever the case may be, and shall have all obligations, rights, and limitations attaching thereto.
(4) Each ground water user shall have one (1) vote for each cubic foot per second, or proportion thereof (rounded to the nearest tenth of a cubic foot per second), for which such ground water user holds a ground water right whose point of diversion is within the proposed district boundaries.