Don’t belabor the details–especially when they aren’t necessary

Before

If you are a street name shareowner, which means that your shares are registered in the name of your bank, broker or its nominee, your shares may be voted even if you do not provide your bank, broker or other nominee with voting instructions. Under the rules of the NYSE, your bank, broker, or other nominee may vote your shares in its discretion on “routine” matters. However, NYSE rules do not permit your bank, broker or other nominee to vote your shares on proposals that are not considered routine. When a proposal is not a routine matter and your bank, broker or other nominee has not received your voting instructions with respect to such proposal, your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote your shares on that proposal. It is called a “broker non-vote” when a bank, broker or other nominee does not cast a vote for a routine or a non-routine matter.

Please note in the absence of your specific instructions as to how to vote, your bank, broker or other nominee may not vote your shares with respect to (I) the election of all the proposed director nominees, or (II) the non-binding advisory resolution regarding the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers. Under NYSE rules, these matters are not considered routine matters. Based on NYSE rules, we believe that the ratification of the appointment by the Audit Committee of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, is a routine matter for which brokerage firms may vote on behalf of their clients if no voting instructions are provided. Therefore, if you are a shareowner whose shares of Common Stock are held in street name with a bank, broker or other nominee and you do not return your voting instruction card, your bank, broker or other nominee may vote your shares FOR the ratification of the appointment by the Audit Committee of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. Please return your proxy card so your vote can be counted. (357 words)

Before, with commentary

If you are a street name shareowner, which means that your shares are registered in the name of your bank, broker or its nominee, your shares may be voted even if you do not provide your bank, broker or other nominee with voting instructions. Under the rules of the NYSE, your bank, broker, or other nominee may vote your shares in its discretion on “routine” matters. However, NYSE rules do not permit your bank, broker or other nominee to vote your shares on proposals that are not considered routine. [This is all accurate, but are people really interested in the explanation?] When a proposal is not a routine matter and your bank, broker or other nominee has not received your voting instructions with respect to such proposal, your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote your shares on that proposal. It is called a “broker non-vote” when a bank, broker or other nominee does not cast a vote for a routine or a non-routine matter. [The rest of the paragraph is wordy and repetitive.]

Please note [This opening phrase is never necessary] in the absence of your specific instructions as to how to vote, your bank, broker or other nominee may not vote your shares with respect to (I) the election of all the proposed director nominees, or (II) the non-binding advisory resolution regarding the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers. [We finally arrived at what the reader needs to know!] Under NYSE rules, these matters are not considered routine matters. Based on NYSE rules, we believe that the ratification of the appointment by the Audit Committee of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, is a routine matter for which brokerage firms may vote on behalf of their clients if no voting instructions are provided. Therefore, if you are a shareowner whose shares of Common Stock are held in street name with a bank, broker or other nominee and you do not return your voting instruction card, your bank, broker or other nominee may vote your shares FOR the ratification of the appointment by the Audit Committee of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. [These three sentences are also is wordy and repetitive.] Please return your proxy card so your vote can be counted. [Technically, beneficial owners return voting instruction cards.]

After

You are a “street name shareowner” if your shares are registered in the name of your bank, broker, or other nominee. If you are a street name shareowner and you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, broker, or nominee, your shares may only be voted to ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. NYSE rules prohibit your bank, broker, or other nominee from voting your shares on proposals to elect directors or to approve the compensation of our named executive officers without specific voting instructions. This is known as a “broker non-vote.” Please return your voting instruction card so your shares can be voted on all matters. (125 words)