Proxy Assignment FAQ

Each club in good standing is entitled to two votes at the Annual Business Meeting (ABM). For these votes to be cast at the ABM, a club must first assign its proxy by designating a member (in good standing) as the club’s proxyholder. The process of assigning a proxy, known as “proxy assignment,” is completed on the Toastmasters International website by either the Club President or Club Secretary before the deadline.

If a club’s proxy is not assigned by the deadline, the club’s two votes cannot be cast at the Annual Business Meeting.

No. The proxy system does not automatically assign the club’s proxy to anyone; a proxyholder must be designated. The Club President and Club Secretary are the two club officers who are responsible for designating the proxyholder. If the Club President or Club Secretary intend to act as proxyholder for the club, they must assign the proxy to themself.

The Club President or Club Secretary can designate an individual member in any of the following three categories as proxyholder:

• An active member from the club
• The District Director in office at the time of the Annual Business Meeting
• Another active Toastmasters member

No. The Club President or Club Secretary designates a single individual member to act as proxyholder and carry the club’s two votes. The club’s two votes cannot be split between multiple proxyholders.

Per Policy 2.0, Section 4.C., a club is considered in good standing when the following criteria have been met:

• A minimum of eight members have submitted their dues for the current dues period
• At least three of these members must have been club members during the previous renewal period.

Clubs have the option to provide voting instructions to their designated proxyholder. If voting instructions are provided, those votes are considered “instructed”; if no instructions are provided, those votes are considered “uninstructed.”

Instructed Votes
The club has indicated a choice(s) for International Officer and Director candidates and/or proposal(s); therefore, the proxyholder must vote as instructed. If a club has indicated “Abstain,” the proxyholder must not cast that club’s votes for any candidate in that election or for/against that proposal.
If subsequent ballots are needed for an election, and the candidate(s) the club indicated is removed from consideration, the proxyholder will vote as they believe is in the best interest of the organization.

Uninstructed Votes
Uninstructed Votes The club has not indicated a particular choice for candidates and/or proposal(s). The proxyholder must vote as they believe is in the best interest of the organization, and their vote must not be governed by any other person, group, or caucus.

No, an individual member can act as proxyholder for any number of clubs and may cast each of those clubs’ two votes at the Annual Business Meeting.

Per Policy 9.1, Section 12, proxy assignment is available to Member Clubs no later than July 10 each year.