The following definitions apply for the purpose of this part:

(a) Business day means a day the institution is open for business, excluding the legal public holidays identified in 5 U.S.C. 6103(a).

(b) FCA means the Farm Credit Administration.

(c) Mail ballot means a ballot cast by regular or electronic mail.

(d) Online meeting means a meeting that is conducted over the Internet through the use of mediating technologies, such as online services, computer hardware and software, etc., where technology is used to generate objects and environments that are presented to users through a number of senses (e.g., vision and hearing). The mediating technologies allow people or objects at remote locations to appear locally present or at least allow them to be treated that way during the course of the meeting.

(e) Online meeting space means an online environment where Farm Credit institutions can hold stockholder meetings that allow stockholders to communicate, collaborate, and share information. Any stockholder with the necessary technology requirements and access (e.g., password-protected meetings) must be allowed to connect to his or her institution's online meeting space.

(f) Regional election means the apportionment of a Farm Credit institution's territory into regions in which a director or directors from a region are elected only by those voting stockholders who reside or conduct agricultural or aquatic operations in that same region.

(g) Stockholder-association means an association within a Farm Credit bank district holding voting stock in that bank.

(h) Stockholder-elected director means a director who is elected by the majority vote of the voting stockholders voting to serve as a member of a Farm Credit institution's board of directors.

(i) Voting record date or record date means the official date set by a Farm Credit institution whereby a stockholder must own voting stock in that institution in order to cast a vote.

(j) Voting record date list or record date list means the list of names, addresses, and classes of stock held by stockholders in the Farm Credit institution who are eligible to vote as of a specific voting record date.

(a) Requirement. Associations must have annual meetings of stockholders for the purpose of conducting annual director elections. Farm Credit banks are encouraged to hold annual or periodic meetings of stockholders. The bylaws of each Farm Credit bank and association must specify the quorum requirements for stockholder meetings. Associations must elect at least one director at each annual meeting, but the vote on the election of a director or directors by mail ballot may only occur in the period following an annual meeting. An online meeting space may be used in addition to a physical meeting space to conduct a stockholders' meeting or director election. A physical meeting space must always exist for association meetings involving director elections and other stockholders' votes.

(b) Notice. Each association, and those Farm Credit banks holding annual meetings, must issue an Annual Meeting Information Statement in accordance with the requirements of §§ 620.20 and 620.21 of this chapter.

(c) Online meeting. Each Farm Credit bank and association using an online meeting space as part of a meeting or election must have policies and procedures in place addressing how the online meeting space will be accessed and used by participants. The policies and procedures must specifically identify any technological adaptations necessary to address the confidentiality and security in voting requirements of § 611.340.