Board Member Voting

[Guest George Bull]

We have a family owned company with four board members. One of the Board Members, my mother, is 96 years old and is very hard of hearing. I am her son and she asked my to vote for her on a motion during the Board Meeting. Is this permissable?

[hmtcastle]

We have a family owned company with four board members. One of the Board Members, my mother, is 96 years old and is very hard of hearing. I am her son and she asked my to vote for her on a motion during the Board Meeting. Is this permissable?

No. The right to vote is personal and not transferable.

That's the RONR rule. You might check with an attorney to see if proxies are permitted.

[hmtcastle]

. . . though the board is free to permit you to attend and assist your mother.

[Trina]

We have a family owned company with four board members. One of the Board Members, my mother, is 96 years old and is very hard of hearing. I am her son and she asked my to vote for her on a motion during the Board Meeting. Is this permissable?

I wonder if this might be approached as a question of personal privilege, since the member has trouble properly hearing the business of the assembly. This is not exactly the same as asking her son to 'cast her vote' (presumably based on his own decision process). However, if she were to request the presence of a helper, to keep her better informed during the meeting (for example, by passing her written notes of what is going on), would that qualify as a question of personal privilege (ruled upon by the chair... a ruling which could be appealed, however)?

Or, is the presence of any additional human being, for whatever purpose, something that must be permitted by majority vote of the assembly?

[Dan Honemann]

I wonder if this might be approached as a question of personal privilege, since the member has trouble properly hearing the business of the assembly. This is not exactly the same as asking her son to 'cast her vote' (presumably based on his own decision process). However, if she were to request the presence of a helper, to keep her better informed during the meeting (for example, by passing her written notes of what is going on), would that qualify as a question of personal privilege (ruled upon by the chair... a ruling which could be appealed, however)?

Or, is the presence of any additional human being, for whatever purpose, something that must be permitted by majority vote of the assembly?

Trina, the answer to the question asked is "no".

[Trina]

Trina, the answer to the question asked is "no".

OK, I apparently should 'start a new topic for my new question'... as the familiar saying goes