{"schema_version":"secwatch.filing_event.v1","accession":"0000712534-24-000171","form_type":"8-K","ticker":"FRME","cik":"0000712534","company_name":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP","filed_at":"2024-05-09T23:59:59+00:00","discovered_at":"2026-05-14T18:03:21.739524+00:00","generated_at":"2026-06-02T07:32:36.903181+00:00","sec_items":["5.07"],"event_type":"other_material","sentiment":"neutral","materiality_score":0.3,"calibrated_materiality_score":0.15,"confidence":"high","headline":"First Merchants shareholders approve all proposals at 2024 annual meeting","bullets":["Elected directors Becher, Fehring, Hardwick, Sondhi to three-year terms; strong support (40M+ votes each).","Advisory vote on executive compensation passed with 42.7M for versus 3.4M against.","Approved 2024 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and Non-Employee Director plan.","Approved amendments to Articles: shareholder bylaw amendment, phased-in board declassification, majority voting.","Ratified FORVIS, LLP as independent auditor for 2024 with over 50M votes in favor."],"urls":{"canonical":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-24-000171","json":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-24-000171.json","markdown":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-24-000171.md","text":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-24-000171.txt","edgar_index":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","edgar_primary_document":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/frme-20240507.htm"},"model":{"generated_by":"deepseek-v4-flash:cloud@v2","generated_at":"2026-06-02T07:32:36.903181+00:00"},"review":{"review_status":"machine_generated","human_reviewed":false,"corrected":false,"correction_note":null,"correction_timestamp":null,"superseded_by":null,"related_filings":[]},"source_grounded_claims":[{"claim_id":"3b222c3c6c27de70f8ce841e5d2596444fe241ed","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of 2024 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of 2024 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 43,587,327 2,538,796 123,269 5,633,279 5.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"equity plan"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"56b4b3eb0400ebd9402df265fdff216662e33eff","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of FORVIS, LLP as independent auditor for 2024 at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of FORVIS, LLP as independent auditor for 2024: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 50,041,948 1,789,147 51,576 — SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"auditor ratification"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"79a9540237470ff10ff098b07b1cc0e5112928e4","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to provide for a phased-in declassification of the Company’s Board of Directors at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to provide for a phased-in declassification of the Company’s Board of Directors: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 45,651,697 386,458 211,237 5,633,279 9.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"charter amendment"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"a1fbd13608335749b65c0082352c441bc418a6fe","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of the Equity Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of the Equity Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 45,100,088 1,013,872 135,432 5,633,279 7.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"equity plan"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"a44d0d83c6da5dec8e112275f547bf7b91ae0f24","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation giving shareholders the ability to amend the Company’s Bylaws at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation giving shareholders the ability to amend the Company’s Bylaws: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 45,283,023 812,536 153,833 5,633,279 8.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"charter amendment"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"b0215fd871353fad25be6d4788f7f8fe79e04fc8","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval, on an advisory basis, of the frequency of advisory votes on executive compensation at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"the shareholders voted to approve, on an advisory basis, “One Year” as the frequency of voting on executive compensation.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"say on pay frequency"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"b445c6a1e9a1f54d08b29369a071517893bc8b69","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to require majority voting in uncontested director elections at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to require majority voting in uncontested director elections","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"charter amendment"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"d70d6fed865c3fc0a67fdf23eb6a9224f25d714b","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of Corporation’s named executive officers at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"The shareholders adopted a non-binding resolution approving the compensation of the Corporation’s executive officers","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"say on pay"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"d80a1090a47efcf41a2ca61b1480d50066fa4da6","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Approval of 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 45,814,799 396,550 38,043 5,633,279 6.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"equity plan"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"},{"claim_id":"db55ba5b579c1243ea2e5c2fc050e0d79bce429b","claim":"FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Election of Directors at the 2024-05-07 meeting.","evidence_excerpt":"Michael R. Becher, Patrick J. Fehring, Mark K. Hardwick and Jason R. Sondhi were elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting of shareholders.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.07","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253424000171/0000712534-24-000171-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Shareholder Votes","details":[{"label":"Proposal","value":"director election"},{"label":"Outcome","value":"passed"},{"label":"Meeting","value":"2024-05-07"}],"fact_type":"shareholder_vote"}],"license":"Source filings: public domain (SEC EDGAR). Summaries (headline + bullets): CC-BY-4.0; attribute https://secwatch.observer"}