As used in this part:

Conducted by an independent entity means:

(1) The independent entity will receive the ballots directly from voting members.

(2) After the conclusion of the special meeting that ends the ballot period, the independent entity will open all the ballots in its possession and tabulate the results. The entity must not open or tabulate any ballots before the conclusion of the special meeting.

(3) The independent entity will certify the final vote tally in writing to the credit union and provide a copy to the NCUA Regional Director. The certification will include, at a minimum, the number of members who voted, the number of affirmative votes, and the number of negative votes. During the course of the voting period the independent entity may provide the credit union with the names of members who have not yet voted, but may not provide any voting results to the credit union prior to certifying the final vote tally.

Continuing credit union means the credit union that will continue in operation after the merger.

Convert, conversion, and converting, when used in connection with insurance, refer to the act of canceling federal insurance and simultaneously obtaining insurance from another insurance carrier. They mean that after cancellation of federal insurance the credit union will be nonfederally insured.

Covered person means the chief executive officer or manager (or a person acting in a similar capacity); each of the four most highly compensated employees other than the chief executive officer or manager; and any member of the board of directors or the supervisory committee.

Federally insured means insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF).

Independent entity means a company with experience in conducting corporate elections. No official or senior manager of the credit union, or the immediate family members of any official or senior manager, may have any ownership interest in, or be employed by, the entity.

Insurance and insured refer to primary share or deposit insurance. These terms do not include excess share or deposit insurance as referred to in part 740 of this chapter.

Merger-related financial arrangement means a material increase in compensation or benefits because of, or in anticipation of, a merger that any covered person of a merging credit union has received during the 24 months before the date the boards of directors of both credit unions approve the merger plan. It also means a material increase in compensation or benefits that any covered person of a merging credit union will receive in the future because of the merger. This includes the sum of all increases in direct and indirect compensation, such as salary, bonuses, leave, deferred compensation, early payout of retirement benefits, or any other financial rewards, other than benefits available to all employees of the continuing credit union on identical terms and conditions. A material increase is an increase in value that exceeds the greater of 15 percent of existing compensation or benefits or $10,000.

Merging credit union means the credit union that will cease to exist as an operating credit union at the time of the merger.

Nonfederally insured means insured by a private or cooperative insurance fund or guaranty corporation organized or chartered under state or territorial law.

Record date means a date announced by the board of directors of a merging credit union as the date by which a person must have been a member of the merging credit union to be eligible to vote on a proposed merger.

Regional Director means either the director for the NCUA Regional Office for the region where a natural person credit union's main office is located or the director of the NCUA's Office of Credit Union Resources and Expansion. For corporate credit unions and natural person credit unions defined as ONES credit unions under part 700 of this chapter, Regional Director means the Director of NCUA's Office of National Examinations and Supervision.

Secret ballot means no credit union employee or official can determine how a particular member voted. Credit union employees and officials are prohibited from assisting members in completing ballots or handling completed ballots.

Share insurance communication means any written communication, excluding the forms in subpart C of this part, that is made by or on behalf of a federally insured credit union that is intended to be read by two or more credit union members and that mentions share insurance conversion or termination. The term:

(1) Includes communications delivered or made available before, during, and after the credit union's board of directors decides to seek conversion or termination.

(2) Includes, but is not limited to, communications delivered or made available by mail, e-mail, and internet website posting.

(3) Does not include communications intended to be read only by the credit union's own employees or officials.

State credit union means any credit union organized and operated according to the laws of any state, the several territories and possessions of the United States, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Accordingly, state authority means the appropriate state or territorial regulatory or supervisory authority for any such credit union.

Terminate, termination, and terminating, when used in reference to insurance, refer to the act of canceling federal insurance and mean that the credit union will become uninsured.

Uninsured means there is no share or deposit insurance available on the credit union accounts.