diff --git a/protobufs/operator.proto b/protobufs/operator.proto
index f780ae3..46509d2 100644
--- a/protobufs/operator.proto
+++ b/protobufs/operator.proto
@@ -4,25 +4,28 @@ package arbiter.operator;
 
 import "operator/auth.proto";
 import "operator/evm.proto";
+import "operator/governance.proto";
 import "operator/sdk_client.proto";
 import "operator/vault/vault.proto";
 
 message OperatorRequest {
   int32 id = 16;
   oneof payload {
-    auth.Request auth = 1;
-    vault.Request vault = 2;
-    evm.Request evm = 3;
-    sdk_client.Request sdk_client = 4;
+    auth.Request            auth        = 1;
+    vault.Request           vault       = 2;
+    evm.Request             evm         = 3;
+    sdk_client.Request      sdk_client  = 4;
+    governance.Request      governance  = 5;
   }
 }
 
 message OperatorResponse {
   optional int32 id = 16;
   oneof payload {
-    auth.Response auth = 1;
-    vault.Response vault = 2;
-    evm.Response evm = 3;
-    sdk_client.Response sdk_client = 4;
+    auth.Response           auth        = 1;
+    vault.Response          vault       = 2;
+    evm.Response            evm         = 3;
+    sdk_client.Response     sdk_client  = 4;
+    governance.Response     governance  = 5;
   }
 }
diff --git a/protobufs/operator/governance.proto b/protobufs/operator/governance.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e48eac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protobufs/operator/governance.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package arbiter.operator.governance;
+
+message Request {
+  oneof payload {
+    CreateProposalRequest create = 1;
+    CastVoteRequest       vote   = 2;
+    QueryPendingRequest   query  = 3;
+  }
+}
+
+message CreateProposalRequest {
+  oneof kind {
+    ApproveSdkClientPayload approve_sdk_client = 1;
+  }
+  optional uint32 ttl_secs = 2;
+}
+
+message ApproveSdkClientPayload {
+  int32 client_id = 1;
+}
+
+message CastVoteRequest {
+  int32 proposal_id = 1;
+  bool  approve     = 2;
+  bytes signature   = 3;
+}
+
+message QueryPendingRequest {}
+
+message Response {
+  oneof payload {
+    CreateProposalResponse created  = 1;
+    VoteResponse           voted    = 2;
+    QueryPendingResponse   pending  = 3;
+  }
+}
+
+message CreateProposalResponse {
+  int32 proposal_id = 1;
+}
+
+message VoteResponse {
+  VoteOutcome outcome = 1;
+}
+
+enum VoteOutcome {
+  VOTE_OUTCOME_UNSPECIFIED  = 0;
+  VOTE_OUTCOME_PENDING      = 1;
+  VOTE_OUTCOME_APPROVED     = 2;
+  VOTE_OUTCOME_REJECTED     = 3;
+}
+
+message ProposalSummary {
+  int32  id            = 1;
+  string kind          = 2;
+  int32  initiator_id  = 3;
+  int64  expires_at    = 4;
+  int64  approve_count = 5;
+  int64  reject_count  = 6;
+}
+
+message QueryPendingResponse {
+  repeated ProposalSummary proposals = 1;
+}
diff --git a/server/crates/arbiter-proto/src/lib.rs b/server/crates/arbiter-proto/src/lib.rs
index 0b91e11..802285e 100644
--- a/server/crates/arbiter-proto/src/lib.rs
+++ b/server/crates/arbiter-proto/src/lib.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ pub mod proto {
             tonic::include_proto!("arbiter.operator.evm");
         }
 
+        pub mod governance {
+            tonic::include_proto!("arbiter.operator.governance");
+        }
+
         pub mod sdk_client {
             tonic::include_proto!("arbiter.operator.sdk_client");
         }