What is a voting right?
A voting right is the legal entitlement of a shareholder to vote on matters of corporate governance, including the election of directors, approval of mergers, charter amendments, equity issuances and other matters that the corporate charter or applicable law require to be put to a shareholder vote.
Voting rights vary by class of stock. Common stock typically carries one vote per share. Preferred stock may carry weighted voting, class-vote protective provisions, or non-voting status. Many U.S. tech founders use dual-class structures (Class A/Class B) to retain voting control after IPO.