Apple released its 2009 proxy statement yesterday. The document outlines the schedule for the company's annual meeting, as well as the board's recommendations for voting. Shareholders will vote on five items at the meeting, starting with the election to the Board from eight nominees.

“Apple today announced that its 2009 proxy materials are now available on the web under the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Notice and Access rule, and can be found at www.apple.com/investor,” the official report reads. “As a result of the Notice and Access rule, Apple is able to significantly reduce the environmental impact of producing and delivering printed materials,” the company proudly states.

According to the 2009 Proxy Statement (PDF), these documents (materials) were first sent or given to shareholders on January 7, 2009. “You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting, and are requested to vote on the proposals described in this Proxy Statement,” Apple addresses its shareholders. “The Annual Meeting will be held in Building 4 of the Company’s principal executive offices...” the document reveals. The meeting is to take place on February 25, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. PST sharp.

As noted above, shareholders will vote on five items at the Annual Meeting. Those are listed as follows:

• the election to the Board of the eight nominees named in this Proxy Statement;
• a shareholder proposal regarding a political contributions and expenditures report, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting;
• a shareholder proposal regarding the adoption of principles for health care reform, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting;
• a shareholder proposal regarding a sustainability report, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting;
• a shareholder proposal regarding an advisory vote on compensation, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting.

The board's recommendations are to vote for on the first matter, and against the remaining four. “The Board recommends that you vote your shares ... 'FOR' each of the nominees to the Board (Proposal No. 1),” Apple explains in the document, “and 'AGAINST' the shareholder proposal regarding a political contributions and expenditures report (Proposal No. 2)...” and so on.

Shareholders may obtain a hard copy of the proxy materials for free, by following the instructions provided on Apple's Investor Relations section.