Short answer: It's up to the local's bylaws, which need International President approval. The ILA Constitution (2023) requires only a secret ballot, although its notice and observer provisions assume a polling place.
| Verdict | Method left to local bylaws |
| Ratification / strike votes | Default: approval at local special meetings (electronic not mentioned); alternatively the International Executive Officers may call a ratification vote "through means reasonably calculated to reach the members affected" - method left to the International Executive Officers and not specified (Art. XXIII, Sec. 7). |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"Each local union shall elect by secret ballot among its members in good standing, a President, a Vice-President, a Recording Secretary, a Financial Secretary or Treasurer, an Auditing Committee, an Executive Board, and such other officers and committees as it may deem proper for the conduct of its affairs."
"Elections shall be held at a stated time of the year, as fixed by the local union for the term of office. ... Written notice of the election containing the date, time and place of the election must be given to each member at least fifteen (15) days prior to such election by mailing such notice to each member at his last known home address."
"Each candidate is permitted to have an observer at each polling area and at each ballot counting station. An observer must be a member in good standing of the ILA and does not have the right to count the ballots."
"The ILA and its local unions shall ensure that their operations are conducted in a democratic and fair manner. Regularly scheduled local union elections shall be conducted by secret ballot."
"Each delegate to a Regular or Special Convention must be elected as such delegate by a secret ballot election in his local union at a regular or special meeting."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"between meetings to submit matters by mail, telephone, or electronic means for a vote of the Executive Council"
"No local union shall levy an assessment upon its members except by majority vote by secret ballot of the members in good standing voting at a general or special membership meeting, after reasonable notice of the intention to vote upon such question, or by majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a membership referendum conducted by secret ballot."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"Each local union must adopt by-laws for its government, which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution or the Constitution of its District, or with the law. Such by-laws and any amendments thereto shall not be effective until they have been submitted to the International President and approved by him."
Contract ratification and strike votes
"Such agreements shall be subject to the approval of the local or locals covered by the agreement at meetings called in the usual and customary manner of calling special meetings ... except that the International Executive Officers, upon the recommendation of the Wage Scale Committee, shall have the power to call for a contract ratification vote on such notice as they may determine and through means reasonably calculated to reach the members affected by such agreement."
"A union member shall only be eligible to cast a ballot in any contract ratification vote if that member’s craft is covered by the collective bargaining agreement being ratified."
Open questions
The constitution requires only a secret ballot and does not name a voting method, but its notice of "the date, time and place of the election" and observers "at each polling area" presuppose an in-person polling-place election; whether that language excludes electronic voting is for counsel, and local by-laws require International President approval (Art. XII, Sec. 5).
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
- Constitution and Rules of Order of the International Longshoremen's Association — As amended at the 56th Convention held in Hollywood, Florida, July 24-27, 2023 (print layout dated 2/6/24). https://ilaunion.org/wp-content/uploads/Web-PDFConstitution-and-Rules-of-Order.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: Keyword search of the full 2023 text found "electronic" only for Executive Council votes, Special Convention calls, and filing/transmittal of charges and appeals by electronic mail; no provision on electronic, internet, telephone or mail voting in local officer elections. No International-issued local election manual or model local by-laws was found on ilaunion.org (WordPress media search for "constitution" returned only constitution editions 2014-2023). Page cites give printed page and PDF page index (printed = PDF - 10).
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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