Arizona § 10-722 - Proxies

§ 10-722. Proxies

A. A shareholder may vote its shares in person or by proxy.

B. A shareholder or the shareholder's agent or attorney-in-fact appoints a proxy to vote or otherwise act for the shareholder by signing an appointment form or by an electronic transmission. An electronic transmission must contain or be accompanied by information from which the recipient can determine the date of the transmission and that the transmission was authorized by the sender or the sender's agent or attorney-in-fact.

C. An appointment of a proxy is effective when the secretary, inspector of election or other officer or agent who is authorized to tabulate votes receives a signed appointment form or an electronic transmission of the appointment. Unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise, an appointment is valid for twelve months unless a shorter or longer period is expressly provided in the appointment form.

D. An appointment of a proxy is revocable by the shareholder unless the proxy conspicuously states that it is irrevocable and it is coupled with an interest. Proxies coupled with an interest include the appointment of any of the following:

1. A pledgee.

2. A person who purchased, agreed to purchase, holds an option to purchase or holds any other right to acquire the shares.

3. A creditor of the corporation who extended or continued credit to the corporation under terms requiring the appointment.

4. An employee of the corporation whose employment contract requires the appointment.

5. A party to a voting agreement created under section 10-731.

E. The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy does not affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy's authority unless written notice of the death or incapacity is received by the secretary, the inspector of election or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises the proxy's authority under the appointment.

F. An appointment that is made irrevocable under subsection D of this section is revoked when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished.

G. A transferee for value of shares subject to an irrevocable appointment may revoke the appointment if the transferee did not know of its existence when the transferee acquired the shares and the existence of the irrevocable appointment was not noted conspicuously on the certificate representing the shares or on the information statement for shares without certificates.

H. Subject to section 10-724 and to any express limitation on the proxy's authority stated in the appointment form or electronic transmission, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxy's vote or other action as that of the shareholder executing the proxy.

I. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a water users' association may provide in its articles of incorporation the qualifications of shareholders to vote, eliminate the right to vote by proxy, specify the locations where votes may be cast and limit voting to natural persons. A water users' association may adopt bylaws for the registration of voters and method of holding elections.