(a) Requirements for member vote. No merger of Banks under the authority of §1278.2 may be consummated unless a merger agreement meeting the requirements of §1278.3 has been ratified by the affirmative vote of the members of each Constituent Bank in a voting process that meets the following requirements:

(1) Notice of vote. Each Constituent Bank shall submit the authorized merger agreement to its members for ratification by delivering to each institution that was a member as of the Record Date—

(i) A ballot that permits the member to vote for or against the ratification of the merger agreement, or to abstain from such vote; and

(ii) A Disclosure Statement that establishes a closing date for the Bank's receipt of completed ballots that is no earlier than 30 days after the date that the ballot and Disclosure Statement are delivered to its members.

(2) Voting rights and requirements. In the vote to ratify the merger agreement, each member of each Constituent Bank shall be entitled to cast one vote for each share of Bank stock that the member was required to own as of the Record Date, provided that the number of votes that any member may cast shall not exceed the average number of shares of Bank stock required to be held by all members of that Bank, calculated on a district-wide basis, as of the Record Date. A member must cast all of its votes either for or against the ratification of the merger agreement, or may abstain with respect to all of its votes. Each member's vote shall be made by resolution of its governing body, either authorizing the specific vote, or delegating to an individual the authority to vote.

(3) Determination of result. No Constituent Bank shall review any ballot until after the closing date established in the Disclosure Statement or include in the tabulation any ballot received after the closing date. A Constituent Bank shall tabulate the votes cast immediately after the closing date. The members of a Constituent Bank shall be considered to have ratified a merger agreement if a majority of votes cast in the election have been cast in favor of the ratification of the merger agreement. The Constituent Bank, or the Continuing Bank, as appropriate, shall retain all ballots received for at least two years after the date of the election, and shall not disclose how any member voted.

(4) Notice of result. Within 10 days of the closing date, a Constituent Bank shall deliver to its members, to each Constituent Bank with which it proposes to merge, and to FHFA a statement of—

(i) The total number of eligible votes;

(ii) The number of members voting in the election; and

(iii) The total number of votes cast both for and against ratification of the merger agreement, as well as those that were eligible to be cast by members that abstained and by members who failed to return completed ballots.

(b) False and misleading statements. In connection with a proposed merger, no Bank, nor any director, officer, or employee thereof, shall make any statement, written or oral, which, at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which it is made, is false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or which omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statement not false or misleading, or necessary to correct any earlier statement that has become false or misleading.