---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000712534-26-000041"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "FRME"
cik: "0000712534"
company_name: "FIRST MERCHANTS CORP"
filed_at: "2026-05-20T20:40:12+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-20T20:41:20.174369+00:00"
event_type: "other"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.15
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.15
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# First Merchants shareholders re-elect all nine directors, approve say-on-pay and auditor at 2026 annual meeting

## Summary
- All nine incumbent directors re-elected for one-year terms; votes for ranged from 36.8M to 45.3M, with most withheld votes between 360K and 8.9M.
- Advisory vote on executive compensation approved: 43.1M for, 2.2M against, 374K abstain, 7.4M broker non-votes.
- Forvis Mazars, LLP ratified as independent auditor for 2026: 51.1M for, 1.8M against, 77K abstain.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000712534-26-000041
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: FRME
- cik: 0000712534
- company_name: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
- filed_at: 2026-05-20T20:40:12+00:00
- event_type: other
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.15
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.15
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.07
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253426000041/0000712534-26-000041-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253426000041/frme-20260519.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-26-000041
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-26-000041.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000712534-26-000041.txt

## Key facts
- Shareholder Votes
  FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Election of Directors at the 2026-05-19 meeting.
  - Proposal: director election
  - Outcome: passed
  - Meeting: 2026-05-19
  source text: Susan W. Brooks, Mung Chiang, Michael J. Fisher, F. Howard Halderman, Kevin D. Johnson, Clark C. Kellogg, Larry W. Myers, Michael C. Rechin and Jean L. Wojtowicz were elected to the Board of Directors for one-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting of shareholders.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253426000041/0000712534-26-000041-index.htm
- Shareholder Votes
  FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of Corporation’s named executive officers at the 2026-05-19 meeting.
  - Proposal: say on pay
  - Outcome: passed
  - Meeting: 2026-05-19
  source text: 2. Approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of Corporation’s named executive officers: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 43,084,564 2,221,954 373,835 7,385,262
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253426000041/0000712534-26-000041-index.htm
- Shareholder Votes
  FIRST MERCHANTS CORP shareholders approved Approval of Forvis Mazars, LLP as independent auditor for 2026 at the 2026-05-19 meeting.
  - Proposal: auditor ratification
  - Outcome: passed
  - Meeting: 2026-05-19
  source text: 3. Approval of Forvis Mazars, LLP as independent auditor for 2026: FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN BROKER NON-VOTES 51,146,053 1,842,114 77,448 —
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712534/000071253426000041/0000712534-26-000041-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.