A majority protest shall be determined to exist if the governing board finds that the protests filed and not withdrawn prior to the conclusion of the second hearing represent more than 50 percent of the eligible registered voters residing within the boundaries of the local agency.
If the governing board finds that a majority protest exists, the groundwater management program shall be abandoned and no new program shall be considered by the board for a period of one year following the date of the second hearing. If a majority protest has not been filed, the board, within 35 days after the conclusion of the second hearing, may adopt an ordinance or resolution to implement the program.