55A-7-25. Voting for directors; cumulative voting.

(a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation, the bylaws, or an agreement valid under G.S. 55A-7-30, directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the members entitled to vote in the election at a meeting at which a quorum is present. If the articles of incorporation, bylaws, or an agreement valid under G.S. 55A-7-30 provides for cumulative voting by members, members may so vote, by multiplying the number of votes the members are entitled to cast by the number of directors for whom they are entitled to vote, and casting the product for a single candidate or distributing the product among two or more candidates.

(b) Members otherwise entitled to vote cumulatively shall not vote cumulatively at a particular meeting unless:

(1) The meeting notice or statement accompanying the notice states that cumulative voting will take place; or

(2) A member or proxy who has the right to cumulate his votes announces in open meeting, before voting for directors starts, his intention to vote cumulatively; and if such announcement is made, the chair shall declare that all persons entitled to vote have the right to vote cumulatively, shall announce the number of votes entitled to be cast, and shall grant a recess of not less than one hour nor more than four hours, as the chair shall determine, or of such other period of time as is unanimously then agreed upon.

(c) A director elected by cumulative voting may be removed by the members without cause if the requirements of G.S. 55A-8-08 are met unless the votes cast against removal would be sufficient to elect such director if voted cumulatively at an election at which the same total number of votes were cast and the entire number of directors elected at the time of the director's most recent election were then being elected.