35-18-313. Voting districts. - Montana Statutes

     35-18-313. Voting districts. (1) (a) For corporations organized under the provisions of 35-18-105(2), notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the bylaws may provide that the territory in which a cooperative supplies telephone service to members must be divided into two or more voting districts and that in respect to each voting district:
     (i) the members residing in the voting district shall elect a designated number of trustees;
     (ii) the members residing in the voting district shall elect a designated number of delegates; or
     (iii) the members shall elect both trustees and delegates.
     (b) The bylaws must prescribe the manner in which the voting districts and the members of those voting districts and the delegates and trustees, if any, elected from those voting districts are to function and the powers of the delegates, which may include the power to elect trustees.
     (c) A member present at any voting district meeting and a delegate present at any meeting may not vote by proxy or by mail.
     (2) (a) For corporations organized under the provisions of 35-18-105(1), notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the bylaws may provide that the territory or geographic area in which a cooperative operates to serve members, or a class or classes of members, must be divided into two or more voting districts and that in respect to each voting district:
     (i) the members or the members of a membership class or classes residing in the voting district shall elect a designated number of trustees;
     (ii) the members or the members of a membership class or classes residing in the voting district shall elect a designated number of delegates; or
     (iii) the members or the members of a membership class or classes shall elect both trustees and delegates.
     (b) This section does not restrict or prohibit a cooperative from using any combination of voting districts based on members or classes of members within a territory or geographical area or voting districts at large based on members or classes of members using one or more kinds of service or product provided by the cooperative.
     (c) The bylaws must prescribe the manner in which the voting districts and the trustees and delegates, if any, elected from those voting districts shall function and the powers of the delegates, which may include the power to elect trustees and adopt, amend, or repeal the bylaws of a cooperative.
     (d) A member present at any voting district meeting and a delegate present at any meeting may not vote by proxy or by mail.

     History: En. Sec. 10, Ch. 172, L. 1939; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 80, L. 1957; R.C.M. 1947, 14-510; amd. Sec. 46, Ch. 7, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 406, L. 2001.