Symantec 2011 Annual Report Download - page 12

Votes submitted via the Internet or by telephone must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 24,
2011. Submitting your proxy, whether via the Internet, by telephone or by mail if you received a paper proxy card,
will not affect your right to vote at the Annual Meeting should you decide to attend the meeting.
If you are not the stockholder of record, please refer to the voting instructions provided by your nominee to
direct it how to vote your shares.
Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote by proxy to
ensure that your vote is counted. You may still attend the Annual Meeting if you have already voted by proxy.
What is the quorum requirement for the Annual Meeting?
A majority of our outstanding shares as of the record date must be present at the meeting in order to hold the
meeting and conduct business. This presence is called a quorum. Your shares are counted as present at the meeting if
you are present and vote in person at the meeting or if you have properly submitted a proxy.
How are abstentions and broker non-votes treated?
Abstentions (shares present at the meeting and voted “abstain”) are counted for purposes of determining
whether a quorum is present, and have no effect on the election of directors or on the advisory vote on the frequency
of future advisory votes on executive compensation. With respect to the advisory vote on the frequency of future
advisory votes on executive compensation, abstentions will not be counted in determining the number of votes cast
for any of the frequency options (one year, two years or three years). For the purpose of determining whether the
stockholders have approved all other matters, abstentions have the same effect as an “against” vote.
Broker non-votes occur when shares held by a broker for a beneficial owner are not voted either because (i) the
broker did not receive voting instructions from the beneficial owner, or (ii) the broker lacked discretionary authority
to vote the shares. Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present, and have
no effect on the matters voted upon. Note that if you are a beneficial holder and do not provide specific voting
instructions to your broker, the broker that holds your shares will not be authorized to vote on the election of
directors, nor will the broker be authorized to vote on Proposal nos. 3- 6. Accordingly, we encourage you to provide
voting instructions to your broker, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.
What is the vote required for each proposal?
The votes required to approve each proposal are as follows:
•Proposal No. 1. Each director must be elected by a majority of the votes cast, meaning the votes “FOR” a
director must exceed the number of votes “AGAINST” a director.
•Proposal Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 6. Approval of each of Proposals 2, 3, 4 and 6 requires the affirmative “FOR”
vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on these proposals at the Annual Meeting present in person or
represented by proxy.
•Proposal No. 5. The frequency (every one year, two years or three years) receiving the greatest number of
votes will be considered the frequency recommended by stockholders.
What if I return a proxy card but do not make specific choices?
All proxies will be voted in accordance with the instructions specified on the proxy card. If you received a
Notice of Internet Availability, please follow the instructions included on the notice on how to access your proxy
card and vote over the Internet or by telephone. If you sign a physical proxy card and return it without instructions as
to how your shares should be voted on a particular proposal at the meeting, your shares will be voted in accordance
with the recommendations of our Board stated above.
If you do not vote and you hold your shares in street name, and your broker does not have discretionary power
to vote your shares, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes” (as described above) and will not be counted in
determining the number of shares necessary for approval of the proposals. However, shares that constitute broker
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