A proxy vote lets you stay in the decision even when you skip the meeting room. You appoint a person or the chair, mark your instructions on a proxy form, and that vote counts toward resolutions. Institutional investors cast proxies as a routine part of stewardship.

Key takeaways

  • Deadlines for submitting proxies are strict; late forms usually fail.
  • You can often direct a yes, no or abstain on each resolution.
  • Blank proxies handed to management concentrate power; fill instructions when you care about the outcome.
  • Related term voting rights is the underlying entitlement; the proxy is how you exercise it remotely.