2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 35. Corporations, Partnerships, and Associations › Chapter 2. Nonprofit Corporations › Part 5. Members -- Delegates -- Voting › 35-2-542. Corporation's acceptance of votes

35-2-542. Corporation's acceptance of votes.
(1) If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment corresponds to the name of a member or is the authenticated electronic identification of a member, the corporation, if acting in good faith, is entitled to accept the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the member.
(2) If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment does not correspond to the record name of a member or is not the authenticated electronic identification of a member, the corporation, if acting in good faith, is nevertheless entitled to accept the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the member if:
(a) the member is an entity and the name signed or electronic identification used purports to be that of an attorney-in-fact of the member and, if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory's authority to sign for the member has been presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment;
(b) the name signed or electronic identification used purports to be that of an attorney-in-fact of the member and, if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory's authority to sign for the member has been presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment;
(c) two or more persons hold the membership as cotenants or fiduciaries and:
(i) the name signed or electronic identification used purports to be the name of at least one of the coholders; and
(ii) the person signing or using the electronic identification appears to be acting on behalf of all the coholders; or
(d) in the case of a mutual benefit corporation:
(i) the name signed or electronic identification used purports to be that of an administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator representing the member and, if the corporation requests, evidence of fiduciary status acceptable to the corporation has been presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment; or
(ii) the name signed or electronic identification used purports to be that of a receiver or trustee in bankruptcy of the member and, if the corporation requests, evidence of this status acceptable to the corporation has been presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment.
(3) The corporation is entitled to reject a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment if the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes, acting in good faith, has reasonable basis for doubt about the validity of the signature or electronic identification or about the signatory's authority to sign for the member.
(4) The corporation and its officer or agent who accepts or rejects a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment in good faith and in accordance with the standards of this section are not liable in damages to the member for the consequences of the acceptance or rejection.
(5) Corporate action based on the acceptance or rejection of a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment under this section is valid unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise.
History: En. Sec. 73, Ch. 411, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 190, L. 2013.