Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000032
Chunk: 19

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 19
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ominating, 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 orientation experience to inform them on the current risks and opportunities facing the Company through individual meetings with senior executives responsible for the Company's major lines of business and operations. The Company schedules site visits across the footprint upon request for new Directors to learn directly from our subject matter experts. Directors learn about our corporate governance practices and policies; the financial and technical aspects of our electric utility and natural gas operations, including our nuclear generation facilities; the complex regulatory frameworks in which many of our major subsidiaries operate; our enterprise risk management process and the significant risks facing the Company; and our long-term strategy to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our electric and natural gas customers.

New Directors are encouraged to attend all committee meetings to familiarize themselves with the types of matters reported on during each committee's meeting.

Following the onboarding process, Directors are encouraged to participate in continuous learning in an effort