Securities and Exchange Commission members indicated a willingness Thursday to overhaul the corporate shareholder-voting process, citing complexity that may confuse small investors as well as interest among both Democrats and Republicans in the operations of advisory firms.

The comments – made at the start of a roundtable on the matter – come as advisory firms that provide voting recommendations on CEO pay, diversity requirements, and other shareholder proposals face increasing scrutiny from lawmakers and criticism from corporate America, whose plans their recommendations sometimes oppose. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would increase federal oversight of Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, the top two advisory companies.