Short answer: Yes, with conditions. The 2026 AFSCME International Constitution (Appendix D) lets locals and councils with 2,000 or more members use remote electronic voting systems, provided members without access are offered another way to vote. Smaller locals need the International President's approval. A separate provision bars holding the election itself by audio or video teleconference.
| Verdict | Electronic voting expressly permitted |
| Confidence | High |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"In any case where there is only one nominee for office, such nominee shall be declared elected. In all other cases, election shall be by secret ballot. All local union members or council delegates shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to vote."
"Local union elections may be conducted at the same meeting as nominations or at the following meeting or by referendum, as provided in the local union constitution. Council elections shall be held in accordance with the constitution of the council."
"All elections of officers and delegates in subordinate bodies shall be subject to the provisions of Appendix D of this Constitution."
"Officers shall be elected by secret ballot vote, and the balloting shall be conducted so as ... to afford to all members a reasonable opportunity to vote. ... All matters concerning nominations and elections in this local union shall be subject to the provisions of Appendix D, entitled Elections Code, of the International Union Constitution."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"Secret ballot elections may be conducted with use of paper ballots and voting machines. Local unions with 2,000 or more members, and Councils, may conduct secret ballot elections with the use of remote electronic voting systems; provided an alternative voting method is made available to any member who does not have access to the electronic system selected. Local unions with less than 2,000 members may conduct secret ballot elections with electronic voting systems upon the approval of the International President."
"Any candidate whose name is to appear on a paper, screen or electronic ballot shall have the right to have present an official observer of the candidate's own choosing, who must be a member of the Federation, in all places where ballots bearing the candidate's name are to be prepared, distributed, cast or counted."
"All election records, including ballots and electronic votes, shall be retained by the subordinate body for at least one year after the election."
"Audio and/or video teleconference meetings shall not be permitted for conventions or elections. However, a special convention convened solely for the nomination and election of local, council or chapter officers may be conducted virtually, but the election itself may not be conducted by audio or video teleconferencing."
"Proposed amendments must be read at a regular or special meeting of the local union and read and voted on at a subsequent meeting of the local union or voted upon by mail ballot referendum."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"The constitution of every subordinate body and any change of any nature in the constitution of any subordinate body shall conform to the provisions of the International Constitution including the provisions of the Bill of Rights. The adoption of a new constitution by any subordinate body and any change of any nature in the constitution of any subordinate body shall be subject to the approval of the International President, and shall become effective only upon the granting of such approval by the International President in writing."
Contract ratification and strike votes
"Each subordinate body shall submit a copy of any collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding or other agreements affecting the wages of its members to the International Secretary-Treasurer within thirty days after their ratification."
Open questions
The 2,000-member threshold splits the rule: locals below it need International President approval, and the text does not define 'remote electronic voting systems' or say what 'alternative voting method' suffices; Art. IX Sec. 51 separately bars conducting the election itself by audio/video teleconference.
Context
- Mixed public/private membership: AFSCME is predominantly public-sector; the LMRDA covers only locals with private-sector (or postal) members, so public-sector-only locals are governed by state law and the constitution, not LMRDA Title IV.
- Edition is the post-47th Convention (Aug 2026) printing; the earlier 2024 edition was not compared, so which 2026 amendments (if any) touched Appendix D was not determined.
The federal rules still apply
Federal law sits on top of every constitution. For unions covered by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), officer elections must meet Title IV's secret-ballot, notice and observer requirements however members vote. The Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) addresses remote electronic voting in its Compliance Tip Electing Union Officers Using Remote Electronic Voting Systems (updated December 10, 2024). The Tip describes safeguards for secrecy, observation and records, says it "does not offer unions safe harbor," and says each system is evaluated case by case. Federal-sector unions follow 29 CFR Part 458, which applies the same standards; postal unions are covered by the LMRDA. Locals made up entirely of state or local government employees are generally outside Title IV and follow state law and their own rules. OLMS Compliance Tip
Sources
- AFSCME International Constitution (2026) — 2026 edition, printed after the 47th International Convention (August 17-21, 2026); cover reads '47th International Convention, August 17 - 21, 2026'; 'Copyright, 2026'. PDF metadata: created 2026-09-17, modified 2026-10-01. https://afscme.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/348-26-International-Constitution-2026-English.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: No separate International local election manual was located on afscme.org. The constitution does not specify a method for contract ratification or strike votes (only that agreements be filed within thirty days after ratification). Page numbers are the printed page numbers of the 2026 PDF.
This page summarizes the published text of a union's governing documents. It is not legal advice and not an official interpretation by the union. Constitutions change at conventions, and locals' own bylaws matter. Confirm with your International and your counsel before changing how members vote. Spotted an error or a newer edition? Tell us at info@votem.com and we'll correct it.
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