Iowa Code Title XII. Business Entities [Chs. 486-504C] § 501A.810. Member voting rights

1. Patron and nonpatron member voting.  A patron member of a cooperative is only entitled to one vote on an issue to be voted upon by members holding patron membership interests.  However, if authorized in the cooperative's articles or bylaws, a patron member may be entitled to additional votes based on patronage criteria in section 501A.811.  If nonpatron members are authorized by the patron members and granted voting rights on any matter voted on by the members of the cooperative, the entire patron members' voting power shall be voted collectively based upon the vote of the majority of patron members voting on the issue and the collective vote of the patron members shall be a majority of the vote cast unless otherwise provided in the bylaws.  The bylaws shall not reduce the collective patron member vote to less than fifteen percent of the total vote on matters of the cooperative.  A nonpatron member has the voting rights in accordance to the nonpatron member's nonpatron membership interests as granted in the bylaws, subject to the provisions of this chapter.

2. Right to vote at meeting.  A member or delegate may exercise voting rights on any matter that is before the members as prescribed in the articles or bylaws at a members' meeting from the time the member or delegate arrives at the members' meeting, unless the articles or bylaws specify an earlier and specific time for closing the right to vote.

3. Voting method.  A member's vote at a members' meeting shall be cast in person, by mail if a mail ballot is authorized by the board, or by an alternative voting method if that is authorized by the board.  A vote shall not be cast by proxy, except as provided in subsection 4.  The cooperative shall take reasonable measures to authenticate that a vote is cast by a member eligible to cast that vote.

4. Members represented by delegates.

5. Mail ballots.  The provisions of this subsection apply to mail ballots.

6. Alternative voting method. The board may also allow the members to vote by alternative voting method, provided the members receive a copy of the proposed motion, resolution, or amendment to be acted upon.