Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000032
Chunk: 93

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 93
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 current Article Eleventh, is shown below. If the proposal is approved, it will become effective upon filing of a Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which we would make promptly after the annual meeting.

### Analysis of Provision
A supermajority vote requirement like the one contained in the Certificate is intended to facilitate corporate governance stability and provide protection against self-interested action by large stockholders by requiring broad stockholder consensus to make certain fundamental changes. While such protection can be beneficial to stockholders, as corporate governance standards have evolved, many stockholders and commentators now view this provision as limiting the Board’s accountability to stockholders and the ability of stockholders to effectively participate in corporate governance.

After considering the arguments in favor of and against the existing supermajority vote requirement, and based on feedback we have solicited from our stockholders on this topic over the years, the Board voted to propose and declare advisable, and to recommend to stockholders that they approve, an amendment to Article Eleventh of the Certificate to reduce the two-thirds supermajority vote requirement to a majority vote requirement to (1) effect any Stock Changes and (2) amend, alter, change or repeal certain provisions of the Certificate.

The Board cannot unilaterally remove the supermajority voting requirement from the Certificate as Delaware law requires stockholder approval for such an amendment to the Certificate.

#### 82Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement

#### Approve an Amendment to Certificate

#### Previous Proposals to Amend the Certificate
We proposed a similar amendment to the Certificate to reduce the supermajority vote requirement to a majority vote in six out of the last 12 years. The Board recommended that stockholders vote for the proposal to amend the Certificate in each year it has come up for vote.

Over the past 12 years, we have seen an increase in the affirmative vote of the issued and outstanding shares on these proposals. In 2024, the most recent year this proposal came to vote, the proposal received 98.8% support of the votes cast, representing 66.47% of the issued and outstanding shares, the highest support level to date. Despite the strong support, the proposal did not achieve the stockholder vote necessary to pass (affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the issued and outstanding shares).

| Year Submitted for Vote |     |       | Affirmative Vote of Issued and 
 Outstanding Shares             |
| 2024                    |     | 66.47 | %