You'd think a technology company would be able to figure out an online system to allow all of its investors to cast their proxy votes. But one reader reports that for years he's been unable to participate in proxy voting for Apple's annual meeting, apparently because he resides in Hawaii.

The reader recently copied me on a letter he wrote to Steve Jobs, Apple investor relation, and InvestorVote.com. The letter read:

"I spent 20 minutes on the phone today trying to reach you, but neither I nor the friendly folks in your tech support department had any luck. A few years ago I moved to Hawaii, and unfortunately InvestorVote.com, the company which handles your annual meeting proxy cards thinks it is amusing to send the materials to Hawaiian investors a few weeks late! I don't find this funny at all."

"Fortunately, the other companies I hold stock in have no difficulties delivering their materials to citizens located in the state of Hawaii, but they use all happen to use ProxyVote.com. Can you help me out? How can I arrange to receive my investor materials before the voting date?"

"I even went to InvestorVote's website and tried to sign up for electronic delivery (which I detest), but that wasn't even a possibility, and of course they don't bother to list a contact phone number. By the way, for laughs I'm working on getting my travails in this regard published. I think this has reached the point where you deserve the PR."

"Apple computer, the folks who have brought us such breakthroughs as the Macintosh, OS X, the iPod and now the iPhone, seems to be the only company in the U.S. which uses a proxy voting service which can't deliver materials in a timely fashion. What could be more ironic than that? Even Microsoft, using the Swiss cheese of operating systems, is able to deliver their investor materials on time!"

"P.S.: This is the fourth year in a row I've tried to get some help from Apple and/or InvestorVote.com to resolve this problem."

Cast your vote the technology company that acts like you're not even on the map. Post your comments below or write Ed Foster at Foster@gripe2ed.com.

Posted by Ed Foster on May 8, 2008 12:27 AM