Annual Meeting. Examples of such documentation include a broker’s statement, letter or other document that will confirm your ownership of shares of the Company as of the Record Date. You will also need to follow any specific instructions contained in the voting instruction card you received from your broker or other nominee.
Voting via the Internet. A stockholder of record may vote his or her shares via the Internet at www.voteproxy.com by following the instructions on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials mailed to stockholders of record on or about October 27, 2023.
Voting by Mail. A stockholder of record who has received a paper copy of the proxy card may vote his or her shares by properly marking, signing and dating the proxy card and returning it in the postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope. Stockholders may request a paper copy of the proxy card and/or paper copies of other proxy materials by contacting our transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, (i) by telephone at 1-888-Proxy-NA (1-888-776-9962) or 718-921-8562 (for international callers), (ii) by email at info@astfinancial.com or (iii) online at https://us.astfinancial.com/OnlineProxyVoting/ProxyVoting/RequestMaterials.
Voting Shares held in “Street Name.” Many stockholders who hold their shares through a broker or other nominee may have the option to submit their proxies or voting instructions via the Internet or by telephone. If your shares are held in “street name,” you should check the voting instruction card that has been provided to you by your broker or other nominee and follow the instructions that have been provided for Internet or telephone voting on that card.
All shares entitled to vote and represented by properly executed proxy received prior to the Annual Meeting and not revoked, will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated on those proxies. If no instructions are indicated on a properly executed proxy, the shares represented by that proxy will be voted as recommended by the Board. If any other matters are properly presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting, including, among other things, consideration of a motion to adjourn the Annual Meeting to another time or place (including, without limitation, for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies), the persons named in the proxy card and acting thereunder generally will have discretion to vote on those matters in accordance with their best judgment. The Company does not currently anticipate that any other matters will be raised at the Annual Meeting.
Holders of shares of common stock are not entitled to cumulative voting rights.
Solicited by Board; Costs
The proxy card accompanying this Proxy Statement is solicited by the Board. The Company has also retained D.F. King & Co., Inc. (“D.F. King”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting for a fee of approximately $8,500 plus out-of-pocket expenses.
The Company will bear the entire cost of the solicitation, including the preparation, assembly, printing and mailing of this Proxy Statement, the proxy card and any additional solicitation materials furnished to the stockholders. Solicitation materials are being furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians holding shares in their names that are beneficially owned by others so that they may make this solicitation material available to such beneficial owners. The Company may reimburse such persons for their costs in making the solicitation materials available to such beneficial owners. The original solicitation of proxies may be supplemented by a solicitation by mail, telephone, electronic communication or any other means by directors, officers or employees of the Company, or D.F. King. No additional compensation will be paid to directors, officers or employees of the Company for any such services.
Householding Matters
Some banks, brokers and other nominee record holders may be participating in the practice of “householding” proxy statements, notices and annual reports. This means that only one copy of a notice and/or proxy statement may have been sent to multiple stockholders in your household. If you would prefer to receive separate copies of notices and/or proxy statements either now or in the future, please contact our transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, at 6201 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219, Telephone: (800) 937-5449. Upon