2026 proxy season sees a sharp decline in environmental and social proposals, a 10-year high in say-on-pay support and expanded opportunities for investor participation
NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder support for proposals increased in the 2026 proxy season even as the number of proposals continued to decline, according to the latest ProxyPulse™ report from global Fintech leader Broadridge (NYSE: BR). Average support for shareholder proposals rose to 27.9% from 24.3% in 2025 with increases in both retail and institutional investor segments.
"The number of environmental and social proposals that were voted on declined by 47% between the 2025 and 2026 proxy seasons," said Chuck Callan, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Broadridge. "At the same time, shareholder support for proposals on disclosing political spending, at 42% on average, rose to a new high. Backing for directors and say-on-pay remained strong, with say-on-pay support hitting a 10-year high."
Retail Investors Vote More Shares as Participation Options Expand
Retail investors owned 6 billion more shares this season than last and voted 2 billion more of the shares they own. The report also highlights the continued expansion of "voting choice" and digital governance capabilities to expand the options that shareholders have to make their voices heard. More than 900 funds offered pass-through voting in the 12 months ended June 30, 2026, up from approximately 400 a year earlier, with more than 400,000 shareholders enrolled. Companies held a record 2,542 virtual shareholder meetings between July 2025 and June 2026, including more than 200 first-time adopters.
About ProxyPulse™
The 2026 Broadridge ProxyPulse report examines ownership and voting trends across the past five proxy seasons and explores developments shaping corporate governance, including standing voting instructions, voting choice and support for tokenized equities.
ProxyPulse™ is based on Broadridge's processing of shares held in street name at the 1,000+ broker-dealers and custodian banks it services. Accounts are classified as either "retail" or "institutional" based on the delivery channels and voting platforms they utilize. All data is reported in the aggregate. Comparative information covers annual meetings between January 1 and June 30 in each of the past five years.
About Broadridge
Broadridge (NYSE: BR) is a global technology leader with trusted expertise and transformative technology, helping clients and the financial services industry operate, innovate, and grow. We power investing, governance, and communications for our clients – driving operational resiliency, elevating business performance, and transforming investor experiences.
Broadridge's technology and operations platforms process and generate over 8 billion communications annually and underpin the daily average trading of over $18 trillion in tokenized and traditional securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing approximately 16,000 associates in 28 countries. For more information about us, please visit www.broadridge.com.
Broadridge Contacts:
Investors: broadridgeir@broadridge.com
Media: Gregg.Rosenberg@broadridge.com
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SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
