PARTIAL DEREGULATION BY BALLOT.

(a) An incumbent local exchange company that is a cooperative corporation may vote to partially deregulate the cooperative by sending a ballot to each cooperative member. The incumbent local exchange company may include the ballot in a bill or send the ballot separately. The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: "Authorizing the partial deregulation of the (name of the cooperative)." (b) The cooperative is partially deregulated if a majority of the ballots returned to the cooperative not later than the 45th day after the date the ballots are mailed favor deregulation.