ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [12460. - 12466.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 1.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12460. Section 12460.

(a) Meetings of members may be held at a place within or without this state that is stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. If no other place is so stated or fixed, meetings of members shall be held at the principal office of the corporation. Subject to any limitations in the articles or bylaws of the corporation, if authorized by the board of directors in its sole discretion, and subject to those guidelines and procedures as the board of directors may adopt, members not physically present in person at a meeting of members may, by electronic transmission by and to the corporation (Sections 20 and 21), electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication, participate in a meeting of members, be deemed present in person, and vote at a meeting of members, subject to subdivision (f). (b) Except as provided in Section 12460.5, a regular meeting of members shall be held annually. In any year in which directors are elected, the election shall be held at the regular meeting unless the directors are chosen in some other manner authorized by law. Any other proper business may be transacted at the meeting. (c) If a corporation fails to hold the regular meeting for a period of 60 days after the date designated therefor or, if no date has been designated, for a period of 15 months after the formation of the corporation or after its last regular meeting, or if the corporation fails to hold a written ballot for a period of 60 days after the date designated therefor, then the superior court of the proper county may summarily order the meeting to be held or the ballot to be conducted upon the application of a member, after notice to the corporation giving it an opportunity to be heard. (d) The votes represented at a meeting called or by written ballot ordered pursuant to subdivision (c) and entitled to be cast on the business to be transacted shall constitute a quorum, notwithstanding any provision of the articles or bylaws or provision in this part to the contrary. The court may issue such orders as may be appropriate, including, without limitation, orders designating the time and place of the meeting, the record date for determination of members entitled to vote, and the form of notice of the meeting. (e) Special meetings of members for any lawful purpose may be called by the board, the chairperson of the board, the president, or other persons, if any, as are specified in the bylaws. In addition, special meetings of members for any lawful purpose may be called by 5 percent or more of the members, however, in a worker cooperative with more than four worker-members, a special meeting may only be called by the greater of three worker-members or 5 percent of the worker-members. In a worker cooperative with fewer than four worker-members, special meetings may be called by one worker-member. (f) A meeting of the members may be conducted, in whole or in part, by electronic transmission by and to the corporation, by electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication if the corporation implements reasonable measures: (1) to provide members a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the members, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting concurrently with those proceedings, (2) if any member votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of electronic transmission to the corporation, electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication, to maintain a record of that vote or action in its books and records, and (3) to verify that each person who has voted remotely is a member. A corporation shall not conduct a meeting of members solely by electronic transmission by and to the corporation, electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication unless one or more of the following conditions apply: (A) all of the members consent; (B) the board determines it is necessary or appropriate because of an emergency, as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (m) of Section 12320; or (C) notwithstanding the absence of consent from all members pursuant to (A) or subdivision (b) of Section 20, the meeting includes a live audiovisual feed for the duration of the meeting. A corporation holding a meeting pursuant to (C) may offer, in addition to remote audiovisual feed, an audio-only means by which a member may participate provided that the choice between participating via audiovisual or via audio-only means is made by the member and the corporation does not impose any barriers to either mode of participation. A de minimis disruption of an audio or audiovisual feed does not require a corporation to end a meeting under, or render the corporation out of compliance with, this subdivision.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12460.5. Section 12460.5.

Notwithstanding Section 12460, a collective board worker cooperative shall not be required to hold an annual meeting of members.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12461. Section 12461.

(a) Whenever members are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given not less than 10 nor more than 90 days before the date of the meeting to each member who, on the record date for notice of the meeting, is entitled to vote thereat; provided, however, that if notice is given by mail, and the notice is not mailed by first-class, registered, or certified mail, that notice shall be given not less than 20 days before the meeting. A worker cooperative shall provide notice of the meeting not less than 48 hours before the meeting if the meeting is a meeting of only worker-members, provided that the notice is delivered personally to every worker-member. Subject to subdivision (f), and subdivision (b) of Section 12462, that notice shall state the place, date, and time of the meeting, the means of electronic transmission by and to the corporation (Sections 20 and 21), electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication, if any, by which members may participate in that meeting, and (1) in the case of a special meeting, the general nature of the business to be transacted, and no other business may be transacted, or (2) in the case of the regular meeting, those matters which the board, at the time the notice is given, intends to present for action by the members, but, except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 12462, any proper matter may be presented at the meeting for such action. The notice of any meeting at which directors are to be elected shall include the names of all those who are nominees at the time the notice is given to members. (b) (1) Notice of a members’ meeting or any report shall be given personally, by electronic transmission by the corporation, or by mail or other means of written communication, addressed to a member at the address of such member appearing on the books of the corporation or given by the member to the corporation for purpose of notice, or if no such address appears or is given, at the place where the principal office of the corporation is located or by publication at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the principal office is located. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the notice of a members’ meeting or any report may be sent by electronic communication or other means of remote communication if the board determines it is necessary or appropriate because of an emergency, as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (m) of Section 12320. An affidavit of giving of any notice or report as permitted because of an emergency or otherwise in accordance with the provisions of this part, executed by the secretary, assistant secretary, or any transfer agent, shall be prima facie evidence of the giving of the notice or report. (2) If any notice or report addressed to the member at the address of such member appearing on the books of the corporation is returned to the corporation by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate the United States Postal Service is unable to deliver the notice or report to the member at such address, all future notices or reports shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if the same shall be available for the member upon written demand of the member at the principal office of the corporation for a period of one year from the date of the giving of the notice or report to all other members. (3) (A) Notice given by electronic transmission by the corporation under this subdivision shall be valid only if it complies with Section 20. Notwithstanding the foregoing, notice shall not be given by electronic transmission by the corporation under this subdivision after either of the following: (i) The corporation is unable to deliver two consecutive notices to the member by that means. (ii) The inability to so deliver the notices to the member becomes known to the secretary, any assistant secretary, the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of the notice. (B) This paragraph shall not apply if notices are provided by electronic communication or other means of remote communication as permitted because of an emergency. (c) Upon request in writing to the corporation addressed to the attention of the chairperson of the board, president, vice president, or secretary by any person (other than the board) entitled to call a special meeting of members, the officer forthwith shall cause notice to be given to the members entitled to vote that a meeting will be held at a time fixed by the board not less than 35 nor more than 90 days after the receipt of the request. If the notice is not given within 20 days after receipt of the request, the persons entitled to call the meeting may give the notice or the superior court of the proper county shall summarily order the giving of the notice, after notice to the corporation giving it an opportunity to be heard. The court may issue such orders as may be appropriate, including, without limitation, orders designating the time and place of the meeting, the record date for determination of members entitled to vote, and the form of notice. (d) When a members’ meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless the bylaws otherwise require and except as provided in this subdivision, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof (or the means of electronic transmission by and to the corporation or electronic video screen communication, conference telephone, or other means of remote communication, if any, by which members may participate) are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting the corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 45 days or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each member of record entitled to vote at the meeting. (e) The transactions of any meeting of members however called and noticed, and wherever held, are as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum is present, and if, either before or after the meeting, each of the persons entitled to vote, not present in person, provides a waiver of notice or consent to the holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes thereof in writing. All such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of and presence at such meeting, except when the person objects, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the consideration of matters required by this part to be included in the notice but not so included, if such objection is expressly made at the meeting. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of members need be specified in any written waiver of notice, consent to the holding of the meeting, or approval of the minutes thereof, unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, except as provided in subdivision (f). (f) Any approval of the members required under Section 12362, 12364, 12373, 12502, or 12658 other than unanimous approval by those entitled to vote, shall be valid only if the general nature of the proposal so approved was stated in the notice of meeting or in any written waiver of notice. (g) A court may find that notice not given in conformity with this section is still valid, if it was given in a fair and reasonable manner. (h) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (i), and unless prohibited by the articles or bylaws, before any regular or special meeting of members, the board may authorize distribution of a written ballot to every member entitled to vote at the meeting. Such ballot shall set forth the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, shall provide an opportunity to specify approval or disapproval of the proposed action, and shall state that unless revoked by the member voting in person at the meeting, the ballot will be counted if received by the corporation on or before the time of the meeting with respect to which it was sent. If ballots are so distributed with respect to a meeting, the number of members voting at the meeting by unrevoked written ballots shall be deemed present at the meeting for purposes of determining the existence of a quorum pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 12462 but only with respect to the proposed action referred to in the ballots. These ballots shall be distributed in a manner consistent with the requirements of subdivision (b) and Section 12464. (i) Unless prohibited by the articles or bylaws, written ballots may be distributed in a manner contemplated by subdivision (h) with respect to the election of directors, except that no ballots may be so distributed with respect to the election of directors if cumulative voting is permitted pursuant to Section 12484.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12462. Section 12462.

(a) The lesser of 250 members or members representing 5 percent of the voting power, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of members, but, subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), a bylaw may set a different quorum. Any bylaw amendment to increase the quorum may be adopted only by approval of the members (Section 12224). If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting power represented at the meeting, entitled to vote, and voting on any matter shall be the act of the members unless the vote of a greater number or voting by classes is required by this part or the articles or bylaws. (b) Where a corporation is authorized to conduct a meeting with a quorum of less than one-third of the voting power, then the only matters that may be voted upon at any regular meeting actually attended by less than one-third of the voting power are matters notice of the general nature of which was given, pursuant to the first sentence of subdivision (a) of Section 12461. (c) Subject to subdivision (b), the members present at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by at least a majority of the members required to constitute a quorum or, if required by this division or the articles or the bylaws, the vote of the greater number or voting by classes. (d) In the absence of a quorum, any meeting of members may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of a majority of the votes represented in person, but no other business may be transacted, except as provided in subdivision (c).

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12463. Section 12463.

(a) Subject to subdivision (e), and unless prohibited in the articles or bylaws any action which may be taken at any regular or special meeting of members may be taken without a meeting if the corporation distributes a written ballot to every member entitled to vote on the matter. Unless otherwise provided by the articles or bylaws and if approved by the board of directors, that ballot and any related material may be sent by electronic transmission by the corporation (Section 20) and responses may be returned to the corporation by electronic transmission to the corporation (Section 21). That ballot shall set forth the proposed action, provide an opportunity to specify approval or disapproval of any proposal, and provide a reasonable time within which to return the ballot to the corporation. (b) Approval by written ballot pursuant to this section shall be valid only when the number of votes cast by ballot within the time period specified equals or exceeds the quorum required to be present at a meeting authorizing the action, and the number of approvals equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve at a meeting at which the total number of votes cast was the same as the number of votes cast by ballot. (c) Ballots shall be solicited in a manner consistent with the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 12461 and Section 12464. All such solicitations shall indicate the number of responses needed to meet the quorum requirement and, with respect to ballots other than for the election of directors, shall state the percentage of approvals necessary to pass the measure submitted. The solicitation must specify the time by which the ballot must be received in order to be counted. (d) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, a written ballot may not be revoked. (e) Directors may be elected by written ballot under this section, where authorized by the articles or bylaws, except that election by written ballot may not be authorized where the directors are elected by cumulative voting pursuant to Section 12484. When directors are to be elected by written ballot and the articles or bylaws prescribe a nomination procedure, the procedure may provide for a date for the close of nominations prior to printing and distributing of the written ballots. (f) The secretary shall cause a vote to be taken by written ballot upon any action or recommendation proposed in writing by 20 percent of the members of the corporation.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12464. Section 12464.

(a) Any form of written ballot distributed to 10 or more members of a corporation with 100 or more members shall afford an opportunity on the form of written ballot to specify a choice between approval and disapproval of each matter or group of related matters intended, at the time the written ballot is distributed, to be acted upon by such written ballot, and shall provide, subject to reasonable specified conditions, that where the person solicited specifies a choice with respect to any such matter the vote shall be cast in accordance therewith. (b) In any election of directors, any form of written ballot in which the directors to be voted upon are named therein as candidates and which is marked by a member “withhold” or otherwise marked in a manner indicating that the authority to vote for the election of directors is withheld shall not be voted for the election of a director. (c) Failure to comply with this section shall not invalidate any corporate action taken, but may be the basis for challenging any written ballot and the superior court may compel compliance therewith at the suit of any member.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12465. Section 12465.

(a) If for any reason it is impractical or unduly difficult for any corporation to call or conduct a meeting of its members, delegates or directors, or otherwise obtain their consent, in the manner prescribed by its articles or bylaws, or this part, then the superior court of the proper county, upon petition of a director, officer, delegate or member, may order that such a meeting be called or that a written ballot or other form of obtaining the vote of members, delegates or directors be authorized, in such a manner as the court finds fair and equitable under the circumstances. (b) The court shall, in an order issued pursuant to this section, provide for a method of notice reasonably designed to give actual notice to all parties who would be entitled to notice of a meeting held pursuant to the articles, bylaws and this part, whether or not the method results in actual notice to every such person, or conforms to the notice requirements that would otherwise apply. In a proceeding under this section the court may determine who the members or directors are. (c) The order issued pursuant to this section may dispense with any requirement relating to the holding of and voting at meetings or obtaining of votes, including any requirement as to quorums or as to the number or percentage of votes needed for approval, that would otherwise be imposed by the articles, bylaws, or this part. (d) Wherever practical any order issued pursuant to this section shall limit the subject matter of the meetings or other forms of consent authorized to items, including amendments to the articles or bylaws, the resolution of which will or may enable the corporation to continue managing its affairs without further resort to this section. However, an order under this section may also authorize the obtaining of whatever votes and approvals are necessary for the dissolution, merger, sale of assets or reorganization of the corporation. (e) Any meeting or other method of obtaining the vote of members, delegates or directors conducted pursuant to an order issued under this section, and which complies with all the provisions of such order, is for all purposes a valid meeting or vote, as the case may be, and shall have the same force and effect as if it complied with every requirement imposed by the articles, bylaws, and this part.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12466. Section 12466.

(a) If the name signed on a ballot, consent or waiver corresponds to the name of a member, the corporation if acting in good faith is entitled to accept the ballot, consent, or waiver and give it effect as the act of the member. (b) If the name signed on a ballot, consent, or waiver does not correspond to the record name of a member, the corporation if acting in good faith is nevertheless entitled to accept the vote, consent, or waiver and give it effect as the act of the member if any of the following occur: (1) The member is an entity and the name signed purports to be that of an officer or agent of the entity. (2) The name signed purports to be that of an attorney-in-fact of the member and if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory’s authority to sign for the member has been presented with respect to the vote, consent or waiver. (3) Two or more persons hold the membership as cotenants or fiduciaries and the name signed purports to be the name of at least one of the coholders and the person signing appears to be acting on behalf of all the coholders. (c) The corporation is entitled to reject a ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment if the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes, acting in good faith, has a reasonable basis for doubt concerning the validity of the signature or the signatory’s authority to sign for the member. (d) The corporation and any officer or agent thereof who accepts or rejects a ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment in good faith and in accordance with the standards of this section shall not be liable in damages to the member for the consequences of the acceptance or rejection. (e) Corporate action based on the acceptance or rejection of a ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment under this section is valid unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026