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Accessibility (Inclusion, Barrier-Free Voting)AGM Voting (Annual General Meeting)Authentication & Identification Methods (2FA, Biometrics, eID)
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Specific Applications

AGM Voting (Annual General Meeting)

Contents

What is AGM Voting?

The term refers to voting during Annual General Meetings (AGM) of corporations, cooperatives, associations, and other organizations. These annual mandatory events are the highest decision-making body and address fundamental corporate decisions. With NemoVote, these critical votes are conducted digitally, transparently, and in compliance with legal standards.

The digitalization of AGMs has gained significant momentum due to legislative changes and practical experiences during the pandemic. Today, virtual and hybrid AGMs are established formats, enabling higher participation rates and more efficient decision-making processes.

Typical Voting Topics at AGMs

Standard Agenda Items

Each AGM addresses recurring topics:

  • Profit Utilization: Distribution of dividends or retention
  • Discharge: Discharge of the board and supervisory board for the fiscal year
  • Elections: Supervisory board members and auditors
  • Remuneration: Approval of the remuneration report (Say-on-Pay)
  • Annual Financial Statements: Determination and approval

Special Resolutions

Special decisions require qualified majorities:

  • Amendments to Articles of Association: Usually requires 75% majority
  • Capital Measures: Increases, reductions, share buybacks
  • Structural Measures: Mergers, demergers, changes in legal form
  • Squeeze-out: Exclusion of minority shareholders
  • Corporate Contracts: Control and profit transfer agreements

Shareholder Proposals

Counterproposals and supplementary proposals by shareholders:

  • Note minimum participation for the right to propose
  • Timely submission required
  • Voting on competing proposals
  • Special dynamics during the meeting

Digital Conduct of AGMs

Virtual Member Meetings (Associations/NGOs)

Particularly popular with non-profit organizations:

  • Legal Basis: § 32 BGB and association's constitution
  • Global Participation: Members worldwide can participate
  • Cost Savings: No venue rental or travel expenses
  • Environmentally Friendly: CO2 reduction through eliminated travel
  • Recording: Optional for absent members

Hybrid Meetings

Ideal for heterogeneous membership structures:

  • Associations: Older members on-site, younger ones digitally
  • NGOs: Local groups meet, international partners online
  • Flexible Participation: Short-term decision-making possible
  • Accessibility: Participation despite mobility restrictions

Live Voting During the Meeting

Real-Time Voting Process

NemoVote enables seamless live voting:

  1. Opening of Voting: Meeting chair starts the voting
  2. Voting: Participants vote via app or web portal
  3. Live Monitoring: Election committee monitors progress
  4. Closing of Voting: Defined time frame or manual closing
  5. Instant Evaluation: Results available in seconds

Technical Implementation

Robust infrastructure for critical voting:

  • Scalability: Thousands of simultaneous votes
  • Reliability: Redundant systems and backup options
  • Authentication: Secure identification of eligible voters
  • Weighting: Automatic consideration of different voting rights

Spontaneous Voting

Flexibility for unplanned decisions:

  • Ad-hoc motions during the meeting
  • Procedural motions
  • Voting on adjournment or interruption
  • Amendments to agenda items

Transparency and Traceability

Legally compliant documentation of all processes:

  • Cryptographic verification of votes
  • Audit trail for later review
  • Logging of all voting events
  • Publication of results in real-time

Advantages Over Traditional Meetings

Classical In-Person AGM: Logistical Challenge

Traditional AGMs are elaborate and expensive:

  • Renting large venues
  • Catering for hundreds of participants
  • Security personnel and technology
  • Travel expenses for shareholders
  • Manual distribution and counting of ballots

NemoVote reduces costs by up to 80% while increasing efficiency.

Hand Votes and Voting Cards: Error-Prone

Visual voting is inaccurate:

  • No exact vote count possible
  • Influence by visible voting behavior
  • Time-consuming counting with close results
  • No post-event verification possible

Proxy Voting: Democracy Deficit

Traditional proxy voting is problematic:

  • Complicated proxy issuance
  • Uncertainty about correct voting
  • Concentration at custodian banks
  • Low direct participation

Paper-Based Postal Voting: Inefficient

Previous written voting is cumbersome:

  • Long lead times required
  • No reaction to meeting discussions possible
  • High postage and processing costs
  • Error-prone manual recording
Modernize your AGMs with NemoVote. Our platform enables secure live voting for virtual, hybrid, and in-person meetings – with immediate results and maximum shareholder participation.

Conclusion

Digital AGM voting with NemoVote transforms one of the most important corporate governance tools. The combination of live voting functionality, legal security, and user-friendly technology enables efficient decision-making processes with maximum shareholder participation. While traditional meetings suffer from logistical and participatory hurdles, NemoVote offers a future-proof solution for modern AGMs of any size.