A simple guide to ProxyVote: what it is, why you got an email about it, and how to cast your shareholder vote in a few minutes.
Quick answer: ProxyVote (ProxyVote.com) is a voting website run by Broadridge Financial Solutions. If you own shares through a broker such as Fidelity, Schwab or Robinhood, you can use it to vote on company proposals before the annual meeting. You need the control number from your proxy email or notice, then you pick your votes and submit before the deadline.
Owning a stock gives you a say in how the company is run. Each year, public companies hold an annual meeting where shareholders vote on directors, pay and other proposals. Most investors never attend in person. Instead they vote by proxy, and for millions of people that happens on ProxyVote.com.
If you have received an email titled “Your vote is important” and a link to ProxyVote, this guide explains what it means, whether it is safe and exactly how to vote.
In this article
- What is ProxyVote?
- Why did you receive a ProxyVote email?
- How do you vote on ProxyVote.com?
- What is the ProxyVote deadline?
- Is ProxyVote legit or a scam?
- What if ProxyVote is not working?
- ProxyVote vs other voting methods
- Does your proxy vote really matter?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
What is ProxyVote?
ProxyVote is the online voting platform of Broadridge Financial Solutions, a US company that handles proxy materials for most banks and brokers. When you hold shares in “street name”, meaning your broker holds them for you, the company cannot contact you directly. Broadridge sends you the proxy materials on behalf of your broker and collects your voting instructions.
You can vote through the ProxyVote.com website, the ProxyVote app, by phone or by returning a paper voting instruction form. Your vote is passed on so it counts at the meeting.
Why did you receive a ProxyVote email?
You get a ProxyVote notice because you owned shares on the company’s record date, the cut-off date for who can vote. Under the US SEC notice and access rules, companies can send a short notice that links to the materials online instead of a full printed report.
- Annual meetings: electing directors, approving auditors and voting on executive pay
- Special meetings: mergers, share splits or major changes
- Fund votes: mutual funds and ETFs sometimes need shareholder approval
- Shareholder proposals: ideas from other investors, for example on climate or governance
How do you vote on ProxyVote.com?
1. Find your control number
Look in your proxy email, notice or voting form. The control number is usually 16 digits and is unique to your account and that meeting.
2. Go to ProxyVote.com
Type the address yourself or use the link from a message you trust. You can also scan the QR code on a paper notice.
3. Enter the control number
You do not need to create an account or enter a password.
4. Read the proposals
Open the proxy statement to see each item and the board’s recommendation.
5. Make your choices
For directors you can usually vote For, Against or Abstain (or Withhold). You can also vote all items in line with the board’s recommendation in one click.
6. Submit and save the confirmation
Take a screenshot of the confirmation page for your records.
Sara owns 40 shares of a tech company through her broker. She receives an email, copies the 16-digit control number, opens ProxyVote.com, reads the summary and votes For on the board nominees and Against one pay proposal. She submits two days before the deadline and saves the confirmation.
What is the ProxyVote deadline?
The deadline for voting instructions through ProxyVote is often 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time the day before the meeting, but it can differ. Always check the exact time printed on your notice or shown on the voting page.
You can usually change your vote by voting again before the deadline. The latest instruction replaces the earlier one. If you want to vote at the meeting itself, follow the instructions in the proxy materials, because street-name holders may need a legal proxy or a meeting control number.
Is ProxyVote legit or a scam?
ProxyVote.com is a real and widely used service. However, scammers sometimes copy proxy emails. Use these checks:
- Make sure you actually own shares in the company named.
- Type ProxyVote.com yourself instead of clicking an unexpected link.
- Never give a bank password, card number or Social Security number. ProxyVote only needs the control number.
- Compare the meeting with the investor relations page on the company’s own website.
- Contact your broker if anything looks wrong.
Set your broker account to receive proxy materials by email. You will get notices faster and can vote from your phone in minutes, instead of waiting for paper forms.
What if ProxyVote is not working?
Most problems have a simple fix.
- Control number not accepted: check for typing errors and make sure you are using the number for the right meeting, since each meeting has its own number
- Voting closed: the deadline may have passed; contact your broker to ask about voting at the meeting
- No email received: check spam, then look in the documents section of your broker account
- Shares sold: you can still vote if you owned the shares on the record date
- Several emails: you may hold shares in more than one account; vote each control number separately
If you still cannot vote, call your broker’s customer service team. They can resend materials or give you a new control number.
ProxyVote vs other voting methods
| Method | Who uses it | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProxyVote.com / app | Street-name holders with a broker | Instant | Needs control number |
| Phone | Street-name and some registered holders | Fast | Number is on your notice |
| Mail (voting form) | Anyone who receives paper | Slow | Post early to meet the deadline |
| Transfer agent site | Registered holders | Instant | For example Computershare or Equiniti |
| At the meeting | All shareholders | On the day | Street-name holders may need a legal proxy |
Registered shareholders, whose names are on the company’s books, usually vote through the transfer agent’s website instead of ProxyVote.
Does your proxy vote really matter?
Yes, especially in close votes. Retail investors own a large share of many companies, but often vote far less than big funds. Your vote helps decide who sits on the board and whether proposals pass.
- Routine items: if you do not vote, your broker may still vote on routine items such as approving the auditor
- Non-routine items: for director elections and pay votes, brokers cannot vote without your instructions, which creates a “broker non-vote”
- Contested elections: under the SEC universal proxy rule, you can mix candidates from both sides on one card
A shareholder proposal on board independence gets 48% support. Thousands of small investors who did not vote could have changed the result. The next year, the company adopts part of the proposal because support was so high.
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Log in to your broker account and check “document delivery” settings. Switch proxy materials to email, then look for any open votes. If there is one, vote now on ProxyVote before the deadline passes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ProxyVote.com?
It is Broadridge’s official site where shareholders who hold stock through a broker can vote on company proposals.
Where is my ProxyVote control number?
It is printed on your proxy notice, voting instruction form or email, and is usually 16 digits.
Do I need an account to use ProxyVote?
No. You only need the control number for each meeting. An optional account or app can store your votes.
Can I change my vote on ProxyVote?
Usually yes. Vote again before the deadline and the latest instruction counts.
What happens if I do not vote?
Your shares are not counted on most items, though brokers may vote on routine matters such as auditor approval.
Is it safe to click a ProxyVote email link?
Real emails exist, but it is safer to type ProxyVote.com yourself and never share passwords or bank details.
Final Thoughts
- ProxyVote is Broadridge’s voting site for investors who hold shares through a broker.
- All you need is the control number from your notice or email.
- Vote before the deadline, often 11:59 p.m. Eastern the day before the meeting.
- Stay safe by typing the site address yourself and never sharing passwords.