Short answer: It's up to the local's bylaws. The CWA Constitution (as amended August 2025) requires locals to elect officers by secret ballot under their own bylaws or rules. The International does not pre-approve them, though they must be consistent with the constitution. Strike votes may be taken "by mail or otherwise" when a meeting isn't feasible.
| Verdict | Method left to local bylaws |
| Ratification / strike votes | Contract ratification (where held) must be by secret ballot, with procedures set by each Bargaining Council or the Executive Board (Art. XVII, Sec. 5); local strike votes are by secret ballot at a meeting or, where meetings are not feasible, 'by mail or otherwise' (Art. XVIII, Sec. 6(c)). |
| Confidence | High |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"To hold Local elections by secret ballot with provision of reasonable opportunity for all members to vote in accordance with the Bylaws or Rules established by the Local and this Constitution;"
"Locals shall adopt Bylaws or Rules to govern the nomination and election of officers, members of a governing body, delegates and alternate delegates; the appointment, selection or election of stewards and committee members; and the filling of vacancies. Locals shall select an election committee which shall conduct all elections and referenda in accordance with the Constitution, Local Bylaws or Rules, and Federal or Provincial Law."
"The election by Locals of officers, members of a governing body, and delegates and alternate delegates to the Union Convention shall be by secret ballot among the members in good standing."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"The notice of referendum and requisite number of printed ballots shall be forwarded to each Local by mail by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. [...] Upon receipt of the notice of referendum, each Local shall conduct the referendum among its members and shall forward the results to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Union by receipted registered mail."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"To adopt Bylaws and Rules not inconsistent with this Constitution and to repeal, amend, or modify such Rules and Bylaws as may be inconsistent therewith, voluntarily, or at the direction of the Executive Board of the Union, subject to the right of appeal to the Convention."
"To furnish the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Union with copies of Bylaws and Rules of the Local and copies of revisions as they may be made;"
Contract ratification and strike votes
"Any contract entered into through collective bargaining, or otherwise dealing with wages, hours, terms of employment or other conditions of employment shall be subject to ratification by secret ballot of the members affected if the delegates to an International Convention representing such members, or representatives at a Bargaining Council meeting, or the members themselves determine ratification to be desirable. Procedures for ratification shall be established by each Bargaining Council, or by the Executive Board for those contracts for which a Bargaining Council has not been established."
"(b) The members present at such meeting shall vote by secret ballot on the question of whether or not a strike shall be called; (c) Where meetings cannot, feasibly, be called, a secret ballot shall be taken of the members, by mail or otherwise, on the question of whether or not a strike shall be called;"
"(1) Authorization by a majority of the Union members affected who vote on the question, by secret ballot, at special meetings or by mail ballot in those Locals where Local meetings are not feasible. (2) Authorization by a majority of the Union members affected who vote on the question in a referendum conducted by the Union."
Open questions
The Constitution requires only 'secret ballot' with 'reasonable opportunity for all members to vote' under local Bylaws or Rules and never names or excludes electronic voting; local Bylaws need not be approved by the International but must not be inconsistent with the Constitution, must be furnished to the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, and may be changed at the direction of the CWA Executive Board.
Context
- Mixed public/private membership: the Constitution provides for a Public, Healthcare and Education Workers sector and a Canadian region (CWA-SCA Canada); LMRDA Title IV reaches only locals with private-sector members, and Art. XV, Sec. 4(a) refers to 'Federal or Provincial Law'.
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
- CWA Constitution (with Permanent Rules Governing Conduct of CWA Convention and Internal Appeals Procedure) — As Amended August 2025 (PDF created Jan 29, 2026). https://cwa-union.org/sites/default/files/cwa-constitution.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
- CWA Constitution (web version) — As Amended August 2025. https://cwa-union.org/for-locals/cwa-constitution (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: Full-text search of the August 2025 PDF for electron/internet/online/telephon/remote/digital/computer/web/machine/mail ballot/referendum found no provision on electronic voting in local elections (telephone hits relate to Executive Board meeting attendance and Convention microphone procedure). No International-level local election manual or guideline was found on cwa-union.org. Page numbers are printed page numbers of the 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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