Share Vote FAQs

Why did you create Share Vote?
We created Share Vote because we believe it can improve the low participation seen among individual investors in corporate elections. If shareholders can delegate voting rights to another owner of their choosing, then perhaps these proxies won't go unutilized. The system of delegating votes is already common among institutional investors and proxy voting firms. Share Vote offers the individual shareholder a similar benefit.

What is Share Vote designed to do?
Share Vote is designed to allow a shareholder to coordinate the transfer of his/her proxy to another shareholder of the same stock. Share Vote verifies ownership, facilitates communication, drafts an agreement, and tracks and records the transfer.

Why would I use Share Vote?
You would use Share Vote to save time and to have your proxy exercised by a fellow owner. By having a fellow shareholder vote your proxy, your interests, which are likely similar by virtue of fellow ownership, can be successfully represented by the fellow owner.

Who can use Share Vote?
Only shareholders (Individual and Institutional members) may use Share Vote.

How do I transfer my voting rights via Share Vote?
You may initiate a transfer from any corporation's page by clicking on the Share Vote button below the fundamental data, by visiting another member's profile page and selecting "Share Vote with this Member," or by selecting "New Share Vote" under the Share Vote record. Any of these methods will verify your ownership of the associated stock, and present you with the necessary agreement needed to initiate the vote transfer.

I have successfully transferred my proxy using Share Vote, and the member has accepted the agreement. How is my proxy directed to the member who has accepted the agreement?
The recipient's contact information is disclosed as part of the Share Vote agreement. Electronic proxies may simply be forwarded by email. Paper proxies must be sent via regular mail. We realize this creates an additional burden on you as the transferor and we are currently working to give you the ability to automatically redirect these proxies as a part of the agreement. We will notify you when this feature becomes available.

I like the idea of transferring my proxies. How can I find a fellow owner who is willing to vote my proxy?
There is no direct way to uncover share ownership within Sharegate, for the simple reason that privacy is paramount and not everyone desires others knowing their holdings. So, by design, Sharegate does not disclose ownership status unless the owner voluntarily allows this via their privacy settings. Fellow owners can often be found on the corporate page of the concerned company, where some members may disclose their ownership status in their discussions. You can inquire directly by sending that member a message. Additionally, by collaborating with a member, you may develop a relationship in which the member allows you to see his/her holdings.

Does Share Vote tell me if a potential candidate is a fellow owner?
No. A Share Vote transfer may be unsuccessful for various reasons. The candidate may not be an owner and thus the attempted transfer is disallowed, the candidate may be unwilling to accept the agreement, or the candidate may simply choose not to respond within the required timeframe. The software does not provide a reason for the refusal, simply notification of it. Share Vote is designed in this way to prevent members from uncovering ownership status simply by initiating Share Vote transfers.

How do I know if a fellow Sharegate member is a good candidate for voting my shares?
You must ultimately decide on the capability of fellow members who you wish to vote your proxies. Sharegate provides some metrics, such as Reputation Scores, to help you in this decision. You can also learn about fellow members by reading their posts on the corporate page discussion forum. Additionally, social networking functions such as "Listen" and "Collaborate" allow members to communicate and establish relationships prior to engaging in Share Vote transfers. All these methods enable you to make an informed decision when transferring your proxy, and should allow you to choose a fellow shareholder with similar interests and adequate knowledge of the company.

How can I cancel a Share Vote agreement?
Either participant can cancel the agreement at any time for any reason by using the "Revoke" feature on the Share Vote record page.

I often don't vote my proxies because I am too busy or I don't have time to get smart on the issues. Why would someone else want to do this for me?
Many shareholders on the company boards are informed on current corporate issues and have already dedicated the time necessary to learn the company's intricacies, so dedicating a few extra minutes to fill out an additional proxy provides a quick return on their invested time. Recognizing that small individual investors have similar interests regarding the long-term viability of the company, another member may be willing to vote your shares for several reasons. He or she may do this as a courtesy to a fellow shareholder. He/she may feel that by voting your proxy, which might go un-voted otherwise, they are giving a voice to the individual investors who own part of the company and this increases the voting influence of individual investors as a whole.

Is the member who receives my proxy required to tell me how they voted?
No. The member is able to inform you of the manner in which they voted, but they are not required to do so. Additionally, you are free to inquire by messaging the member following the corporate election.

Are Share Vote agreements good for one election?
Share Vote agreements are perpetual until either member revokes the agreement or divests him or herself of the stock. Only owners may vote on behalf of other owners. If either member no longer owns the stock, the agreement is automatically revoked.


How do current proxy solicitation rules relate to Share Vote?
Share Vote only allows you to offer your voting rights to another member, and does not allow you to request or solicit proxies from other members. You are prohibited from engaging in any activities that are intended to result in obtaining a proxy from another member. Such activities are considered proxy solicitation by Sharegate and could be in violation of SEC regulations. Proxy solicitation campaigns by organizations or affiliates must receive written approval from Sharegate. Sharegate reserves the right to approve or deny these requests based on our own determination of transparency, perceived value or detriment to the network, and adherence to SEC regulations.


Do you think Share Vote, by allowing shareholders to delegate their shareholder voting responsibilities to fellow owners, has the ability to improve corporate governance?
We feel that corporate governance may be improved as a result of this process. A shareholder who owns stock in 10 companies, each of which has eight directors, is expected to be informed on the suitability of 80 candidates per year to run the concerned companies, along with the prudence of any associated proposals. To do this properly takes an incredible effort. We built Share Vote to address this large obstacle, limited time to devote to due diligence on all of the associated issues, to proper corporate governance.