Question 1

Is online voting LMRDA compliant for union elections?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem's CastIron® platform complies with Title IV of the LMRDA with secret ballot integrity, immutable audit trails, and Department of Labor-ready documentation.

Question 2

How quickly can you set up a strike authorization vote?

Accepted Answer

Votem's FastStrike kit delivers a fully compliant strike authorization vote within 72 hours, including pre-configured ballot templates, rapid voter list ingestion, multi-channel voting, and certified results.

Question 3

Is your online voting platform NCUA compliant for credit union elections?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem elections meet NCUA Part 701 requirements with encrypted ballots, chain-of-custody logs, and export-ready audit files for examiner review.

Question 4

Do you support weighted voting for pension fund trustee elections?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CastIron® supports weighted ballots, multi-seat trustee elections, and configurable tally rules including first past the post and ranked choice voting.

Question 5

What is Votem's $50,000 compliance guarantee?

Accepted Answer

If an election conducted on the Votem platform fails a compliance review, Votem pays up to $50,000 toward the resulting fine. No other online voting provider offers this financial guarantee.

Question 6

What security certifications does Votem hold?

Accepted Answer

Votem is SOC 2 Type II certified, uses AES-256 end-to-end encryption, has been reviewed by DHS/CISA with zero high or medium vulnerabilities, and has processed over 13 million votes without a security breach.

Question 7

How does online voting compare to paper ballot elections?

Accepted Answer

Online voting typically increases participation by 2-3x compared to paper-only elections, reduces staff workload by 70-90%, eliminates printing and mailing costs, and provides instant certified results with complete audit trails.

Question 8

Can you run hybrid elections with online, phone, and mail voting?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem's CastIron® platform coordinates online, phone (IVR), and mail voting in a single unified workflow with real-time participation tracking across all channels.

Question 9

What is the best online voting platform for labor unions?

Accepted Answer

Votem is the leading online voting platform for labor unions, offering LMRDA Title IV compliance, OLMS-ready audit files, FastStrike 72-hour strike authorization, and a $50,000 compliance guarantee. Votem has conducted elections for unions across 42 states.

Question 10

How do you run an LMRDA compliant online election?

Accepted Answer

An LMRDA-compliant online election requires: (1) secret ballot with no way to link a vote to a voter, (2) equal opportunity for all candidates, (3) adequate notice to all members, (4) preservation of all election records for one year, and (5) a complete audit trail. Votem's CastIron® platform satisfies all Title IV requirements and produces an OLMS-ready documentation package.

Question 11

What are the NCUA requirements for credit union board elections?

Accepted Answer

Under NCUA Part 701 and the Federal Credit Union Bylaws, credit union board elections must be conducted by electronic device or mail ballot, with a nominating committee or petition process, advance notice to all members, and a plurality-wins tally. Votem's platform is pre-configured for all NCUA Part 701 requirements.

Question 12

What is the cost of running an online election with Votem?

Accepted Answer

Votem's pricing ranges from $0.75 to $4.00 per eligible voter depending on election complexity, compliance level, help desk requirements, and election duration. Use the Votem ROI Calculator at votem.com/election-cost-calculator to estimate your investment and compare it to the cost of paper elections.

Question 13

How does Votem compare to ElectionBuddy?

Accepted Answer

Unlike ElectionBuddy, Votem is a fully managed service — Votem's team runs your election end to end, not just the software. Votem is SOC 2 Type II certified, offers a $50,000 compliance guarantee, supports phone (IVR) voting, and provides OLMS-ready audit documentation. ElectionBuddy is a self-service tool without managed operations or a compliance guarantee.

Question 14

How does Votem compare to Survey & Ballot Systems?

Accepted Answer

Votem and Survey & Ballot Systems both offer managed election services, but Votem adds SOC 2 Type II certification, a $50,000 compliance guarantee, AI-powered fraud detection, and a real-time participation dashboard. Votem also offers the FastStrike 72-hour strike authorization kit, which SBS does not.

Question 15

Can Votem handle large elections with over 100,000 voters?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem's CastIron® platform is designed for elections of any scale, from 100 to over 1,000,000 eligible voters. The platform has processed over 13 million votes across organizations of all sizes.

Question 16

Does Votem support multilingual ballots?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem supports ballots in 50+ languages, ensuring every member can participate regardless of their primary language. Multilingual support is available for online, phone (IVR), and paper ballot channels.

Question 17

What happens if a member challenges the election results?

Accepted Answer

Every Votem election produces a board-defensible election file — a complete package of audit logs, chain-of-custody documentation, voter authentication records, and certified results. If a member files a complaint with the DOL or NCUA, Votem provides the complete audit package and supports your response at no additional charge.

Question 18

Is Votem's voting platform ADA and WCAG compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem's CastIron® platform meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, supports screen readers, keyboard navigation, and high-contrast mode. Phone (IVR) voting is available for members without internet access or with disabilities that prevent online voting.

Question 19

How long does it take to set up an online election with Votem?

Accepted Answer

Standard elections are typically configured in 5-10 business days from voter list submission to ballot launch. FastStrike elections for urgent strike authorization votes can be deployed in 72 hours. Annual board elections for credit unions and associations are typically set up 30-60 days in advance.

Question 20

Does Votem provide election results certification?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Votem election concludes with certified results delivered in a board-ready format, including tally reports, participation statistics, and a signed certification letter suitable for board minutes and regulatory filings.

Question 21

What is Election Compliance as a Service?

Accepted Answer

Election Compliance as a Service (ECaaS) is Votem's model of providing fully managed election operations — not just software. Votem handles voter list processing, ballot design, voter notifications, help desk support, real-time monitoring, results certification, and audit documentation. Organizations get a compliant election without burdening their staff.

Question 22

Where is Votem Corp located?

Accepted Answer

Votem Corp is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and provides election services to organizations across 42 states. Votem was founded in 2014 and has processed over 13 million votes.

Question 23

Does Votem integrate with membership management systems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Votem accepts voter lists in standard formats (CSV, Excel) and can integrate with common membership management systems. Votem's team handles voter list processing, deduplication, and eligibility verification as part of the managed service.

Election TermsPlain and Simple

Accessibility

Advance Notice

Annual Meeting

Audit Trail

Ballot

Board of Directors

Candidate Eligibility

Certified Results

Chain of Custody

Compliance Guarantee

Contract Ratification Vote

Decertification

DOL (Department of Labor)

ECaaS (Election Compliance as a Service)

Eligible Voter

ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act)

FastStrike

Good Standing

Hybrid Election

IVR Voting (Phone Voting)

Janus v. AFSCME Decision

Joint Board of Trustees

LMRDA (Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act)

Mail Ballot

Managed Election Service

NCUA (National Credit Union Administration)

NCUA Part 701

Nominating Committee

Nomination Period

OLMS (Office of Labor-Management Standards)

Online Voting

Plurality Voting

Proxy Voting

Quorum

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)

Secret Ballot

SOC 2 Type II

Strike Authorization Vote

Supervisory Committee

Taft-Hartley Act

Tally

Tentative Agreement (TA)

Trustee Election

Voter List (Eligible Voter List)

Voter Turnout

WCAG 2.1 AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)

Weighted Voting

Write-In Candidate

Ready to run a compliant election?

Election Terms
Plain and Simple