A shareholder proxy is a form that a shareholder signs to assign their voting rights for a shareholder meeting when the shareholder is unable to attend. Typically, the corporation or company that is holding the meeting creates and provides the form for the shareholder to complete. You can create your own form either on a blank sheet of paper or company letterhead to send out to shareholders.
Start by typing the headline on the paper, which may read something similar to, “Shareholder Proxy” or “General Shareholder Proxy.” After the headline, type in the information in a block format. The information includes the name of the company hosting the shareholder meeting, the effective dates of the shareholder meeting and the name of the person who is your proxy. For example, the first line is the effective date, followed by the end of the proxy term, the name of the corporation, the name of the shareholder (you) and the name of the individual you are making your proxy.
The next paragraph of a shareholder proxy is written out in a paragraph format and is the appointment of proxy. This is the section of the proxy form that turns over your voting power to the representative who is acting as you at the shareholder meeting. For example, the paragraph may start out with, “As a shareholder of the XYZ Corporation, I do hereby constitute the above named as my proxy from the effective date to the termination date stated above.”
The shareholder needs to sign the proxy in front of a witness, who can notarize the form. The form also needs to be dated. Finally, the notary will complete the bottom section of the shareholder proxy with information including the state and county, the witness statement, their signature and stamped with their notary stamp.
If the corporation does not send you a shareholder proxy form with the meeting announcement, you can type up your own agreement as the shareholder. You should contact the corporation to determine the specific requirements needed to turn over your voting rights to your proxy. The corporation and state where the corporation operates may have rules and regulations that have to be abided by to make the proxy legal.
Once you create the shareholder proxy, you need to have a copy that you send to the corporation. You should also provide your proxy with a copy to take along to the shareholder meeting. This ensures that they are able to represent you, vote for you and act as you in your absence.
