Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 17

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 17
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 We have nominated five new highly qualified Directors in the past three years. |

#### Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement15

#### Governance

#### Stockholder Nomination of Directors
Proxy access generally refers to the right of stockholders who meet certain ownership thresholds to nominate one or more Directors to the Board and have the nominees included in the Company’s proxy materials and on the Company’s proxy card.

We have proxy access provisions in our By-Laws. The key terms are as follows.

| Any stockholder or group of up to 20 stockholders maintaining continuous qualifying ownership of at least 3% of our outstanding shares for at least three years can nominate, and include in our proxy materials, Director nominees constituting the greater of two nominees or 20% (rounded down) of the number of Directors in our proxy materials for the next annual meeting. |

Nominating stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) must also meet the eligibility requirements described in our By-Laws. Our By-Laws also provide for the direct nomination of directors for election by stockholders at an annual meeting. For additional information about stockholder nomination of directors, see page 95 .

#### Stockholder Recommendation of Director Candidates
The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee considers potential board candidates recommended by stockholders. Recommendations can be made by submitting the candidate’s information to our Corporate Secretary in writing at Southern Company, 30Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30308. Stockholders should provide as much relevant information about the candidate as possible, including the candidate’s biographical information and qualifications to serve. A stockholder recommended candidate is reviewed in the same manner as a candidate identified by the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee.

#### Service on Other Boards and Committees
In identifying candidates to serve on the Board and in evaluating whether to recommend the re-election of existing Directors, the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee considers whether a candidate or a Director demonstrates a willingness to commit sufficient time to serving on the Board. The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee is regularly updated on the public company board service limit or “overboarding” policies of our largest stockholders.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines include limitations on the number of public company boards and public company audit committees a Director may serve.

| 4No employed Director may serve on more than two public company boards (not including the Company’s Board or the director’s employing company board) unless otherwise approved by the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee.