Cumulative Voting

A method of election of the board of directors used by corporations whereby a stockholder may cast as many votes for directors as he or she has shares of stock, multiplied by the number of directors to be elected.

A plan used for the election of members to the lower house of the Illinois legislature by which voters, each of whom is given three votes, may cast all of the votes for one candidate or allocate them among two or three candidates.

The purpose of cumulative voting is to facilitate the representation of minority stockholders on the board. The stockholder may cast all of his or her votes for one or more, but not all, of the directors on the ballot, which therefore promotes representation of small shareholders. Cumulative voting is mandatory under the corporate laws of some states and is allowed in most states.