Legal Definitions - weighted vote

A weighted vote refers to a voting system where not all votes carry the same value or influence. Instead, individual votes are assigned different levels of significance or "weight" based on predetermined criteria. This means that some votes count for more than a single vote, giving certain voters or groups greater power in decision-making.

Here are some examples to illustrate how a weighted vote works:

• Corporate Shareholder Meetings: Imagine a large corporation where different types of shares exist. Shareholders owning "Class A" shares might be granted ten votes for every share they hold, while those owning "Class B" shares receive only one vote per share. When a decision, such as electing board members, is put to a vote, the total voting power of a Class A shareholder is significantly higher than that of a Class B shareholder, even if they own the same number of shares. This demonstrates a weighted vote because the influence of each shareholder's vote depends on the class of shares they possess.

• International Organizations: Consider an international body composed of various member states. In some such organizations, voting power on certain resolutions might be weighted according to factors like a country's population size, its financial contribution to the organization, or its economic output. For instance, a country with a larger population or a greater financial contribution might have its vote count as five units, while a smaller country's vote counts as one unit. This system uses weighted votes to reflect the differing scales or contributions of its members.

• Condominium or Homeowners Associations: In certain residential communities, particularly those with diverse property types, voting rights in the homeowners' or condominium association might be weighted. For example, an owner of a large penthouse unit might have three votes, an owner of a standard two-bedroom unit might have two votes, and an owner of a small studio apartment might have one vote. This weighting often reflects the proportion of common expenses each owner is responsible for or the relative value of their property. Here, the voting power is weighted based on the size or value of the property owned.