As a stockholder, you have the right to vote on major policy decisions, such as whether to issue additional stock, sell the company to outside buyers, or change the board of directors. In general, the more stock you own, the greater your voice in company decisions. Usually, each share of stock gives you one vote. Some companies, especially ones whose founders are active stockholders, issue different classes of stock with different voting privileges. THE WAY YOU VOTE Most shareholders vote by proxy , an absentee ballot they receive before the annual meeting.
Shareholders can usually cast their votes by telephone, over the Internet, or by mail.
Or they have the option of attending the meeting and voting in person. In other words, shareholders distribute their votes equally among the candidates. Cumulative voting , on the other hand, allows voters to distribute their votes any way they wish. For example, a shareholder who owns 100 shares and is voting for eight directors would have a total of 800 votes. In a statutory vote, the shareholder would have to cast 100 votes for each candidate.