If a company you hold shares in runs its shareholder meeting through Sharesies Private, you can access the meeting materials and vote online in your portal.
In this article
The process at a glance: find the meeting, access the meeting materials, cast your vote before the online deadline, change it if needed before voting closes, then the company certifies and announces the result.
Find the meeting and read the meeting materials
When voting opens, you will receive an email and see a banner on your dashboard letting you know you have a vote to cast.
Log in to Sharesies Private.
Open the meeting in any of these ways:
Select the banner on your dashboard.
Open the link in your invite email.
Click into the company holding and select Shareholder voting from the left-hand menu, then select the meeting (screenshot below).
On the meeting page, check the Meeting details: date, time, venue or online link, and when voting closes.
Download and read the notice of meeting and any other materials the company has shared under Meeting documents.
Read each resolution (proposal the company asks shareholders to approve).
If the company has translated the resolutions, they appear in your chosen language. Read the notice of meeting provided by the company before voting, as it will explain what each resolution means.
Vote online
On the meeting page, go to the resolutions under Cast your vote.
Choose For, Against or Abstain for every resolution.
Select Submit to submit your vote.
The panel shows how many votes your holding carries and how many resolutions you have answered.
Option | What it means |
For | You support the resolution. |
Against | You oppose the resolution. |
Abstain | Your vote is recorded, but it does not count towards whether the resolution passes. |
Online voting deadline: online voting closes before the meeting starts, so vote early. The deadline may depend on the region the meeting is held in, and it is shown on the meeting page under Voting closes in the time zone of the meeting. Check the time zone shown, as the deadline may fall on a different day or time where you are.
Change your vote
You can withdraw your vote and vote again until online voting closes. Only your latest vote counts.
If someone else with access to the same shareholder entity has already voted, you will be told a vote exists before you replace it. You will not see how they voted.
Voting through more than one entity
Each entity votes separately. For example, if you hold shares personally and through a family trust, you will receive a separate invite and cast a separate vote for each one.
If your entity cannot vote
Some entities need a signed authorisation or appointment on file before they can vote. If this applies to your entity, a message appears on the meeting page instead of the voting options. What is required depends on the company's jurisdiction. For example:
Australia: a section 250D authorisation.
New Zealand: a representative appointment. A company votes at a meeting through a representative it appoints in writing under section 124 of the Companies Act 1993. Without a signed written appointment on file, the entity cannot vote.
Contact your company administrator or registry team for the steps to supply what is required. Once the right documentation has been sighted by the company and recorded in the platform against your shareholder entity, you will be able to vote straight away.
Vote by proxy
If you prefer, you can appoint a proxy (a person to vote on your behalf at the meeting). If the company has supplied a proxy form, you can download it from Meeting documents on the meeting page. Complete it and return it to the company so that someone can vote on your behalf. You cannot currently appoint a proxy online.
Vote during the meeting
Depending on how the company runs the meeting on the day, it may reopen online voting in Sharesies Private during the meeting, use a paper ballot, or both. Check the notice of meeting or contact the company for how voting will work on the day.
If you vote more than once, only your most recent vote counts. A vote made during the meeting replaces any vote made online or by proxy beforehand.
After the meeting: results and certified outcome
Company administrators can see each shareholder's votes so they can check and certify the result. The company then announces the certified outcome, usually in a communication visible in your portal.
FAQs
Who can vote and how are votes counted? You can vote if you hold shares in a voting share class on the company's record date. The record date is set by the company and shown in the meeting details. Your number of votes is based on the shares you hold at the end of the record date. Sharesies Private applies this automatically.
If you buy shares after the record date, you cannot vote at this meeting.
If you sell shares after the record date, you can still vote. If you no longer have portal access, contact the company to vote by proxy or during the meeting.
If you only hold options, you cannot vote until they are exercised into shares.
If you hold shares through a company, trust or other entity, that entity votes. Anyone with owner access to the entity in Sharesies Private can cast its vote.
When does online voting close? The close time is shown on the meeting page under Voting closes and in the notice of meeting. It is usually a day or two before the meeting, and it may depend on the region the meeting is held in. Times are shown in the time zone of the meeting.
I did not receive an invite. Can I still vote? Check that you held shares in a voting share class on the record date. If you did, log in and look for the meeting on your dashboard, or contact the company.
What if I want to split my vote for each resolution? Select the three dots on the right of Cast your vote and choose Split votes. This lets you divide your votes on a resolution instead of voting all of them the same way.
Who can see how I voted? The company's administrators can see each shareholder's votes so they can check and certify the result. Other shareholders cannot see how you voted.
How will I find out the results? The company announces the results after the meeting, usually in a communication visible in your portal.
Does voting cost anything? No. Voting through Sharesies Private is free for shareholders.
Who do I contact with questions about a resolution? The company running the meeting. Their contact details are in the notice of meeting.