Short answer: It's up to the local's bylaws. The AFT Constitution (2024) requires local elections to be consistent with the standards of LMRDA Title IV and names no method. Locals submit their bylaws, but no approval is required. AFT includes public-sector locals.
| Verdict | Method left to local bylaws |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"The constitution and bylaws of each affiliated local and state federation shall provide for regular meetings of an executive body and regular meetings of the general membership or a representative body of the general membership. The conduct of elections shall be consistent with the standards for such elections developed under Title IV of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). Terms of office for officers shall not exceed four years, or fewer if required by applicable state or federal laws."
"Delegates and/or alternates to the convention from a local or retiree organization shall be elected by secret ballot. Members of each local must be given suitable opportunity to nominate candidates for the office of delegate and alternate. ... Written notice announcing the time and place of election of delegates must be mailed to each member at least 15 days prior to the election."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"...(3) shall elect at a meeting of each such local or by mail ballot agreed to by all locals in the council and in conformity with federal law no later than three months prior to the convention a delegate and alternate, if any, by a secret ballot common to each local in the council..."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"All locals and state federations shall submit one digital copy of their constitution and bylaws by electronic means to the national organization within three months of receiving their charter. Affiliates shall similarly submit all subsequently amended constitutions and bylaws. No such constitution or bylaws shall be in conflict with the constitution of the American Federation of Teachers."
Open questions
The constitution sets no balloting method for local officer elections beyond requiring consistency with LMRDA Title IV standards, and requires locals only to submit (not obtain approval of) their constitutions/bylaws; whether 'consistent with the standards ... under Title IV' imports federal rules on electronic voting is a legal question outside the text.
Context
- Mixed public/private membership: LMRDA covers only AFT locals with private-sector members; the AFT constitution nonetheless applies LMRDA Title IV standards to all locals as an internal rule (Art. IV, Sec. 5).
- AFT conventions are biennial; amendments adopted at a 2026 convention, if any, were not found on aft.org (which still links the 2024 edition) and could not be confirmed.
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
- 2024 AFT Constitution and Bylaws — Adopted by the National Convention of the AFT, AFL-CIO, Houston; Correct as of July 2024. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2024/AFTconstitution2024.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
- AFT Constitution page (links to the 2024 PDF) — n/a. https://www.aft.org/about/constitution (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: Full-text search of the 2024 edition for electron/internet/online/telephon/remote/digital/computer/web/machine/mail ballot/referendum found 'electronic' only in filing provisions (submitting bylaws, delegate lists) and 'mail ballot' only for councils of locals electing convention delegates. The constitution contains no contract-ratification or strike-vote procedure (it references an 'AFT strike policy' for Militancy/Defense Fund benefits, which was not located). No national AFT local-election manual was found on aft.org or via search; state/local AFT guides surfaced only as leads and were not used.
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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