(1) A corporation that has a class of shares registered pursuant to s. 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall, and any other corporation may, appoint one or more inspectors to act at a meeting of shareholders in connection with determining voting results. Each inspector will faithfully execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of the inspector’s ability. An inspector may be an officer or employee of the corporation. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons to assist the inspectors in the performance of the duties of inspector under subsection (2) and may rely on information provided by such persons and other persons, including those appointed to count votes, unless the inspectors believe reliance is unwarranted.

(2) The inspectors shall:

(a) Ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each;

(b) Determine the shares represented at a meeting;

(c) Determine the validity of proxy appointments and ballots;

(d) Count the votes; and

(e) Make a written report of the results.

(3) In performing their duties, the inspectors may examine:

(a) The proxy appointment forms and any other information provided in accordance with s. 607.0722(2);

(b) Any envelope or related writing submitted with those appointment forms;

(c) Any ballots;

(d) Any evidence or other information specified in s. 607.0724; and

(e) The relevant books and records of the corporation relating to its shareholders and their entitlement to vote, including any securities position list provided by a depository clearing agency.

(4) The inspectors also may consider other information that they believe is relevant and reliable for the purpose of performing any of the duties assigned to them pursuant to subsection (2), including, for the purpose of evaluating inconsistent, incomplete, or erroneous information and reconciling information submitted on behalf of banks, brokers, their nominees, or similar persons that indicates more votes being cast than a proxy is authorized by the record shareholder to cast or more votes being cast than the record shareholder is entitled to cast. If the inspectors consider other information allowed by this subsection, they must, in their report under subsection (2), specify the information considered by them, including the purpose or purposes for which the information was considered, the person or persons from whom they obtained the information, when the information was obtained, the means by which the information was obtained, and the basis for the inspectors’ belief that such information is relevant and reliable.

(5) Determinations of law by the inspectors of election are subject to de novo review by a court in a judicial proceeding challenging the inspector’s activities under this section.

(6) The chair of the meeting shall announce at the meeting when the polls close for each matter voted upon. If no announcement is made, the polls shall be deemed to have closed upon the final adjournment of the meeting. After the polls close, no ballots, proxies, or votes, or any revocations or changes thereto, may be accepted.

History.—s. 68, ch. 2019-90.