Glossary
What does “Proxy vote” mean?
A vote cast by one person on behalf of a member who cannot attend, under a written authority called a proxy.
What it means
A vote cast by one person on behalf of a member who cannot attend, under a written authority called a proxy. Whether proxies are allowed, and how, depends on the organisation’s rules and the law.
An example
A shareholder who cannot attend the annual meeting signs a proxy form naming the chair to vote for them, with instructions to vote for the first resolution and against the second.
Not to be confused with: Absentee or postal vote
A proxy vote is cast by someone else on your behalf; an absentee or postal vote is cast by you directly, in advance.
Where you will see it
In shareholder and company meetings, some associations and unions, and in notices of meeting that include a proxy form.
Questions
Can anyone hold a proxy?
It depends on the rules; some allow any person, others only other members.
Are proxy votes allowed in Robert’s Rules?
Not in an ordinary assembly: Robert’s Rules allows proxy voting only when the law or the organisation’s bylaws provide for it.
What is a directed proxy?
A proxy where the member tells the proxy holder how to vote on each question. With an undirected proxy, the holder decides how to vote.
Other meeting words
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