(1) A shareholder, other person entitled to vote on behalf of a shareholder pursuant to s. 607.0721, or attorney in fact for a shareholder may vote the shareholder’s shares in person or by proxy.

(2)(a) A shareholder, other person entitled to vote on behalf of a shareholder pursuant to s. 607.0721, or attorney in fact for a shareholder may appoint a proxy to vote or otherwise act for the shareholder by signing an appointment form or by electronic transmission. Any type of electronic transmission appearing to have been, or containing or accompanied by such information or obtained under such procedures to reasonably ensure that the electronic transmission was, transmitted by such person is a sufficient appointment, subject to the verification requested by the corporation under s. 607.0724.

(b) Without limiting the manner in which a shareholder, other person entitled to vote on behalf of a shareholder pursuant to s. 607.0721, or attorney in fact for a shareholder may appoint a proxy to vote or otherwise act for the shareholder pursuant to paragraph (a), a shareholder, other person entitled to vote on behalf of a shareholder pursuant to s. 607.0721, or attorney in fact for a shareholder may make such an appointment by:

1. Signing an appointment form, with the signature affixed, by any reasonable means including, but not limited to, facsimile or electronic signature.

2. Transmitting or authorizing the transmission of an electronic transmission to the person who will be appointed as the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization, registrar, or agent authorized by the person who will be designated as the proxy to receive such transmission. However, any electronic transmission must set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the shareholder, other person entitled to vote on behalf of a shareholder pursuant to s. 607.0721, or attorney in fact for a shareholder. If it is determined that the electronic transmission is valid, the inspectors of election or, if there are no inspectors, such other persons making that determination shall specify the information upon which they relied.

(3) An appointment of a proxy is effective when a signed appointment form or an electronic transmission of the appointment is received by the inspector of election or by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to count votes. An appointment is valid for the term provided in the appointment form and, if no term is provided, is valid for 11 months unless the appointment is irrevocable under subsection (5).

(4) The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy does not affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy’s authority unless notice of the death or incapacity is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises his or her authority under the appointment.

(5) An appointment of a proxy is revocable by the shareholder unless the appointment form or electronic transmission conspicuously states that it is irrevocable and the appointment is coupled with an interest. Appointments coupled with an interest include the appointment of:

(a) A pledgee;

(b) A person who purchased or agreed to purchase the shares;

(c) A creditor of the corporation who extended credit to the corporation under terms requiring the appointment;

(d) An employee of the corporation whose employment contract requires the appointment; or

(e) A party to a voting agreement created under s. 607.0731.

(6) An appointment made irrevocable under subsection (5) becomes revocable when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished.

(7) Unless the appointment otherwise provides, an appointment made irrevocable under subsection (5) continues in effect after a transfer of the shares and a transferee takes subject to the appointment, except that a transferee for value of shares subject to an irrevocable appointment may revoke the appointment if the transferee did not know of its existence when the transferee acquired the shares and the existence of the irrevocable appointment was not noted conspicuously on the certificate representing the shares or on the information statement for shares without certificates.

(8) Subject to s. 607.0724 and to any express limitation on the proxy’s authority appearing on the face of the appointment form or in the electronic transmission, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxy’s vote or other action as that of the shareholder making the appointment.

(9) If an appointment form expressly provides, any proxy holder may appoint, in writing, a substitute to act in his or her place.

(10) Any copy, facsimile transmission, or other reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission created under subsection (2) may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or electronic transmission for any purpose for which the original writing or electronic transmission could be used if the copy, facsimile transmission, or other reproduction is a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or electronic transmission.

(11) A corporation may adopt bylaws authorizing additional means or procedures for shareholders to use in exercising rights granted by this section.

History.—s. 58, ch. 89-154; s. 15, ch. 97-102; s. 2, ch. 99-135; s. 2, ch. 2001-195; s. 62, ch. 2019-90.