FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

Section A: General Questions about SecureOnlineVote.com and SecureOnlineDelivery.com

Section B: SecureOnlineVote.com Voting Issues

Section C: Other Issues


A. General Questions about SecureOnlineVote.com and SecureOnlineDelivery.com
What is SecureOnlineVote.com?

SecureOnlineVote.com is platform that provides security-holders with the ability to submit proxy voting instructions online through a web browser instead of using traditional paper, return mail and fax methods. SecureOnlineVote is one part of the Doxim® suite of financial communications services. Doxim works in tandem with many different Mutual Fund companies and Corporate Issuers to distribute proxy forms and collect and tabulate the results. SecureOnlineVote.com is the electronic arm of our proxy voting services. Top of Page

How does SecureOnlineVote.com work?

When one of Doxim's Mutual Fund Company or Corporate Issuer clients contracts with Doxim to distribute a Form of Proxy with online voting, Doxim distributes proxy materials and notices (either via postal mail or electronically) with individualized Control Numbers to the company's registered security-holders. security-holders can execute their proxy vote online by entering their unique Control Number at: https://www.SecureOnlineVote.com.

SecureOnlineVote.com uses a simple 3 step process.

  1. Enter a valid Control Number.
  2. Enter your voting instructions (and, optionally, specify an appointee).
  3. Review, confirm and submit your voting instructions.

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What is a Control Number?

The Control Number is a unique 12-digit number that was generated for the explicit purpose of voting a Security-holder's position by proxy. The Control Number uniquely identifies at least one position, and sometimes several positions for a Security-holder. A Control Number is not necessarily unique to a Security-holder's account. You may have been given multiple Control Numbers for a proxy vote, and you may receive multiple separate packages or notifications. Top of Page

Where can I find my Control Number?

Postal Mail Recipients will find the 12 digit Control Number at the top right of your Form of Proxy.
Email Recipients will find the 12 digit Control Number prominently labelled in the body of the Notification Email message, in the "Your Control Number" section. It is also displayed in Step 3 of the Instructions section of the Notification Email. Top of Page

Why did I get more than one Control Number? Why did I receive multiple packages or notifications?

There are many reasons why you may receive more than one package for a proxy vote, and therefore have to submit multiple votes. This depends in a large part on the way your account is configured at your Mutual Fund Company or Corporate Issuer or broker. You may have multiple accounts that cannot be consolidated into one package for voting purposes. This is often the case for security-holders who have accounts with different identifying information or have joint accounts. Please contact your financial institution to clear up any confusion regarding multiple packages. Top of Page

Why am I able to vote with the same Control Number more than once?

We allow multiple votes for the same Control Number -- however, we only count the most recent received vote. This allows you to change your mind at a later date and resubmit your vote. There is no restriction on the number of times you can vote, as long as you do so before the Proxy Deposit Date for your meeting. Top of Page

How secure is the SecureOnlineVote.com platform?

We have taken several steps to ensure security, privacy and data integrity, among them:

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How do I send my vote by email?

You cannot vote by email. Email is not a secure platform for collection of sensitive data, such as proxy voting instructions. If you received a proxy vote notification for SecureOnlineVote.com, please go to https://www.SecureOnlineVote.com and enter your Control Number. Please do not send a scan of your paper proxy form via email. Top of Page

Can I get notified by email of a proxy vote?

Yes! Doxim offers the SecureOnlineDelivery.com platform as a secure solution for E-Delivery of Security-holder materials, including proxy vote notifications. All we need is your consent for electronic delivery and we can notify you by email the next time there is a proxy vote. We also post other Security-holder communications online for our clients. Top of Page

How do I sign up for E-Delivery?

After you complete Step 3 at SecureOnlineVote.com, there is a link that will take you to SecureOnlineDelivery.com, where you can enter your name, email address, and Control Number. You must complete a vote online to see this link. Top of Page

When do I get a Control Number?

Doxim will generate a Control Number for the purposes of voting by proxy via paper ballot, voter instruction card, or online at https://www.SecureOnlineVote.com. A Control Number identifies votable security positions in your account. A Control Number is generated based on data provided to Doxim as of the meeting Record Date. Top of Page

How did you get my personal information?

Doxim generates a Control Number for the purposes of voting by proxy at https://www.SecureOnlineVote.com when a Mutual Fund Company or Corporate Issuer calls a meeting of shareholders and provides Doxim with the appropriate data to issue a Form of Proxy. A Control Number identifies votable security positions in your account. A Control Number is generated on the meeting Record Date and is specific to a shareholder meeting. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information about how we handle your personal information. Top of Page

How can I get the number of securities held, account balance or update my street mailing address?

Neither SecureOnlineVote.com or SecureOnlineDelivery.com are capable of displaying or providing access to your investment account or any data pertaining to your finances or mailing address. SecureOnlineDelivery.com and SecureOnlineVote.com are services concerned with online delivery of Security-holder materials such as proxies, interim reports, or MRFP's. Please contact the institution that administers your account for any other services.
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Are there any charges for this service?

There is no cost to use this service. The only costs you may incur are those related to internet access and the maintenance of your email account. Top of Page


B. SecureOnlineVote.com Voting Issues
What browsers and operating systems are supported?

Any reasonably up to date browser will work well, but SecureOnlineVote.com should work with almost anything.

SecureOnlineVote.com has been developed with the intention of maintaining the most widespread browser and platform compatibility. We have tested and validated that SecureOnlineVote.com works with all major browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux computers. We have made efforts to ensure SecureOnlineVote.com works for persons with disabilities, persons who require screen readers, as well as persons with older computer hardware, text interfaces and older browsers. Presentation will look best on up to date systems, but if you are running on an older computer, you should still be able to enter, review and submit your vote securely. Top of Page

Why does nothing happens after I enter my Control Number?

Make sure you clicked the green "Sign-In" button after typing in a valid 12-digit Control Number. If you have clicked the "Sign-In" button, and your browser is doing nothing, or showing a blank page, you may have a browser cache problem.

Often, problems can be resolved by trying a different browser, or clearing your cache and cookies. Top of Page

How do I clear my browser cache and cookies?

See Google's Instructions. Note: clearing your cookies will require you to sign in to most other websites again. Top of Page

Why am I getting an error that claims the Control Number is not valid?

Please double check the Control Number on your Form of Proxy or Email Notification. If you're certain that the Control Number you have entered is correct, please contact us immediately. Top of Page

I entered my Control Number incorrectly and now I am locked out.

For security purposes, we limit the number of times you can enter an invalid Control Number. This is done to prevent guessing attacks. Please wait out the 1 minute lockout period, double-check your information, and try again. Top of Page

What is the difference between "Vote as recommended" and "Vote as directed"?

Vote as recommended is a one-click option that allows you to submit a vote along the recommendations detailed in the Information Circular. The recommendations are made by the board of directors. Doxim is an independent third party and Doxim does not recommend any voting instructions whatsoever.

Vote as directed allows you to vote as you prefer, for each resolution, for each fund, one by one. If using the Vote as directed option, you must enter votes for all resolutions and funds listed on the page. Top of Page

Can I submit a blank proxy ballot, like I can when I submit a paper proxy?

See the Help Page on Electronic Proxy Ballot Instructions for all details pertaining to voting online. Top of Page

Can I get a record of my Vote?

After you have submitted your vote in Step 3, you can click on the Print button on the voting summary screen. This will allow you to keep a hard copy. On Mac OS computers, you can "Print to PDF". Under Windows, you can use your XPS Printer to print to a file. On most operating systems you can save a Print Screen. Because your voting record is considered sensitive data, we do not offer an email receipt. Top of Page

Why do I see a blank screen when I click the link to the Meeting Materials?

Meeting materials are posted in PDF format. When you click on a link to a PDF document, your browser may download the file to your computer, or display the document in a new browser window (or tab). We cannot control this behavior because everyone's configuration is different. If you see a blank screen, it means you have downloaded the PDF to your computer. Please look in your Download folder for the document. Top of Page

I voted -- why did I not see a link to SecureOnlineDelivery?

Your Mutual Fund Company or Corporate Issuer may not be offering to post materials for electronic distribution through SecureOnlineDelivery.com at this time. Top of Page


C. Other Issues
Why can't I read Internet links that end with the ".pdf" extension?

If you do not have a PDF Reader application installed on your computer, you may have difficulty reading ".pdf" documents. If you still cannot open or view PDF files you may need to download a PDF Reader application. A few freely available PDF readers are listed below.

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Why do you post the files in PDF format?

Most Security-holder documents are posted online in the Portable Document Format (PDF) due to the flexibility and openness of the format. PDFs look identical to their print counterparts and can be freely viewed almost anywhere. PDF documents can be read with one of many publicly available PDF reading applications, on almost every desktop and mobile computing platform in wide use today, and have accessibility options for persons with visual impairments. Most PDF reading applications are free to download, install and use. For more information about PDFs, see Wikipedia's article on the subject.

What if I wanted a printed copy of certain materials?

You have the option of printing PDFs to your local printer. If you wish to have a printed document sent to you, please contact your Mutual Fund Company or Corporate Issuer and request the materials. Top of Page