shorts don't own the stock. In a short transaction they sell first, then buy back to close the transaction, never having owned the stock. The transaction is reverse of a long, who buys and holds the stock.

You have to be a stock holder of record to be able to vote as far as I understand it.

I think most expected this to be a done deal and did not bother, but with a small outstanding share count it is important for investors to either vote or allow management to vote their shares.