(a) Unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws prohibit or limit proxy voting, a member may vote in person or by proxy. A member may appoint one or more proxies to vote or otherwise act for the member by signing an appointment form, either personally or by the member’s attorney-in-fact. An appointment in the form of an electronic record submitted by a member who has agreed as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55A-1-70 that either bears the member’s electronic signature or is sent from the member’s designated email address and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by an automated process shall be deemed a valid appointment form within the meaning of this section. In addition, if and to the extent permitted by the nonprofit corporation, a member may appoint one or more proxies by any kind of telephonic transmission, even if not accompanied by written communication, under circumstances or together with information from which the nonprofit corporation can reasonably assume that the appointment was made or authorized by the member.

(b) An appointment of a proxy is effective when received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes. An appointment is valid for 11 months unless a different period is expressly provided in the appointment form.

(c) An appointment of a proxy is revocable by the member unless the appointment form conspicuously states that it is irrevocable and the appointment is coupled with an interest. An appointment made irrevocable under this subsection shall be revocable when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished. A transferee for value of an interest subject to an irrevocable appointment may revoke the appointment if the transferee did not have actual knowledge of its irrevocability.

(d) The death or incapacity of the member 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 authority under the appointment.

(e) A revocable appointment of a proxy is revoked by the person appointing the proxy [by] doing any of the following:

(1) Attending any meeting and voting in person.

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Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 55A-7-24

  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Proxy voting: The practice of allowing a legislator to cast a vote in committee for an absent legislator.

(2) Signing and delivering to the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate proxy votes either a writing stating that the appointment of the proxy is revoked or a subsequent appointment form.

(f) Subject to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55A-7-27 and to any express limitation on the proxy’s authority appearing on the face of the appointment form, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxy’s vote or other action as that of the member making the appointment. (1955, c. 1230; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 801, s. 35; 1993, c. 398, s. 1; 1999-139, s. 1; 2008-37, s. 6; 2021-162, s. 2(o).)