Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 96

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 96
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 proposals, graphics and supporting statements as they were submitted to us. Some of the following proposals may contain assertions about the Company that we believe are incorrect. The Board has not attempted to refute all such assertions. However, the Board has considered each proposal and recommended a vote based on the specific reasons set forth in each Board response.

#### Item 5: Simple Majority Vote
Mr. John Chevedden, 2215 Nelson Avenue, No. 205, Redondo Beach, California 90278, holder of at least 100 shares of Southern Company common stock, submitted the following proposal.

#### Proposal 5 – Simple Majority Vote
Shareholders request that our board take each step necessary so that each voting requirement in our charter and bylaws (that is explicit or implicit due to default to state law) that calls for a greater than simple majority vote be replaced by a requirement for a majority of the votes cast for and against applicable proposals, or a simple majority in compliance with applicable laws. If necessary this means the closest standard to a majority of the votes cast for and against such proposals consistent with applicable laws. This includes making the necessary changes in plain English.

Shareholders are willing to pay a premium for shares of companies that have excellent corporate governance. The supermajority voting requirements, like those of The Southern Company, have been found to be one of 6 entrenching mechanisms that are negatively related to company performance according to "What Matters in Corporate Governance" by Lucien Bebchuk, Alma Cohen and Allen Ferrell of the Harvard Law School. Supermajority requirements are used to block initiatives supported by most shareowners but opposed by a status quo management.

This proposal topic won from 74% to 88% support at Weyerhaeuser, Alcoa, Waste Management, Goldman Sachs, FirstEnergy and Macy's. These votes would have been higher than 74% to 88% if more shareholders had access to independent proxy voting advice. This proposal topic recived [sic] 98% support each in 2024 at Domino's Pizza, FMC Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Masco Corporation and Power Integrations.

This proposal topic won impressive 98% support at the 2024 Southern Company annual shareholder meeting. This was even greater support than most of the Directors received. It was also greater support than the auditors received and greater support than the executive pay vote received.

Please vote yes:

#### Simple Majority Vote -- Proposal 5

#### Board’s Recommendation and Statement
The Board has carefully