Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 18

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 18
---
4No Director may serve on more than four public company boards (including the Company’s Board), unless otherwise approved by the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee.                                                      
 4No Director who is a member of the Company’s Audit Committee may serve on the audit committees of more than three public companies (including the Company’s Audit Committee).                                                                       |

In addition to these limitations, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that the Company’s CEO will not serve on other public company boards without consulting with the Board. They also require that current Directors must notify the CEO and the Chair of the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee when considering a request for service on another public company board.

Each of the Directors are in full compliance with these Corporate Governance Guidelines.

In light of this, as part of its annual evaluation on whether to recommend the re-election of existing Directors, the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee is provided information on the public company boards and private company for-profit boards on which each Director serves, including compliance with the specific numerical guidelines above, as well as the Directors’ attendance records at Southern’s Board and committee meetings. In 2024, all Directors attended at least 75% of applicable Board and committee meetings, with the average Director attendance at all applicable Board and committee meetings at 98%. These factors also influence the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee’s annual consideration of Board leaderships positions, committee leadership positions and committee membership.

#### 16Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement

#### Governance
Majority Voting For Directors and Director Resignation Policy

We have a majority vote standard for Director elections, which requires that a nominee for Director in an uncontested election receive a majority of the votes cast at a stockholder meeting in order to be elected to the Board. The Board believes that the majority vote standard in uncontested Director elections strengthens the Director nomination process and enhances Director accountability.

We also have a Director resignation policy, which expects any nominee for election as a Director who fails to receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast in an uncontested election at a meeting of the stockholders to promptly tender a letter of resignation. Such resignation would be considered by the Board and the Board would be required to either accept or reject such resignation within 90 days from the certification of the election results.

#### Director Onboarding and Continuing Education
Our Director onboarding process helps to facilitate a smooth and efficient transition for newly elected Directors. Following a Director's election to the Board, new Directors actively participate in a tailored