Short answer: Yes. NTEU's Constitution and Bylaws (as amended at the 58th National Convention, 2021) allow chapters to use "electronic/telephonic voting" through an outside service when the Chapter Executive Board authorizes it. NTEU chapters are federal-sector, so 29 CFR Part 458 applies. We could not obtain a consolidated text reflecting the 2023 convention.
| Verdict | Electronic voting expressly permitted |
| Ratification / strike votes | Lists methods that don't include electronic voting |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"Specify the date, time and place of the scheduled election, or in the case of electronic/telephonic voting, the time period and manner in which votes must be cast."
"In the alternative, a mail referendum ballot procedure may be established to ensure that all members will receive a ballot, that an envelope is provided in which to place the ballot, that a return envelope is furnished in which to mail the ballot and which identifies the voter, that the confidentiality of the ballot is maintained, and that the ballots will be secure until counted."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"The election shall be held in accordance with the date, time, and place information specified in the Notice of Election, and the election shall be by secret ballot to be placed in boxes, unless the Chapter Executive Board has authorized the election to be conducted in collaboration with a service that offers electronic/telephonic voting that contains safeguards and controls necessary to assure compliance with applicable law and regulations, including secrecy of the ballot..."
"The Chapter Secretary shall maintain for one (1) year all used, unused, and challenged ballots, envelopes used to mail marked ballots in the case of a mail ballot election, tally sheets, and related election documents and, in the case of an electronic/telephonic election, ensure that the election record is archived."
"In Chapters where all members are not assigned to the same post of duty, Chapter meetings may be held simultaneously in more than one location and conducted by telephone, video conferencing, or other electronic means that facilitate real time communication among members provided that: (A) All members in attendance at each of the meeting locations can speak to and hear one another..."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"This document shall be known officially as the Constitution of the National Treasury Employees Union, and it shall also be the Constitution of every affiliated Chapter or Joint Council as described in Article IV of this Constitution. [Section 2.] Each Chapter may adopt Bylaws, no part of which shall be in force if they are contrary to or in conflict with the provisions of this Constitution."
Contract ratification and strike votes
"All Term Agreements negotiated at the national level except those which, in whole or in part, are the subject of binding action by the Federal Service Impasses Panel shall be subject to ratification by the membership of the Chapters in the unit affected. ... The Chapter President shall schedule a special Chapter meeting within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notification..."
"(A) A majority vote based on the vote entitlement of the Chapters in an affected unit shall constitute acceptance of the Term Agreement. (B) Term Agreements covering employees in a nationwide single agency Chapter will be ratified when a majority of the members of the Chapter present and voting in the meeting set forth in Section 2 above vote in favor of the Agreement."
Open questions
Chapter officer elections may use 'electronic/telephonic voting' when the Chapter Executive Board authorizes it (no National approval is stated), but the source is the 2021 edition hosted by a chapter; for national term-agreement ratification the text specifies a special Chapter meeting (counsel to confirm whether that list is exclusive and how Part VI, Sec. 6's electronic chapter meetings interact with it).
Context
- Federal-sector union: chapter elections are governed by the CSRA (5 U.S.C. 7120) and 29 CFR Part 458 standards of conduct, not the LMRDA directly.
- NTEU held a National Convention in August 2023 (Detroit) with proposed bylaw amendments; the post-2023 consolidated Constitution and Bylaws was not found, so whether Part IV, Sec. 2 or Art. XV changed could not be confirmed (the 2023 proposal seen adds a new Part IV section on National-initiated chapter elections and does not alter Sec. 2's text).
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
- NTEU Constitution and Bylaws — Amended, 58th National Convention, Virtual, August 2021 (copy posted by NTEU Chapter 153; not located on nteu.org). https://www.nteu153.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/nteuconstitutionandbylawsattach.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Proposed Bylaw Amendments (2023 National Convention business documents) — 2023 National Convention, Detroit, August 7-10, 2023. https://www.nteu.org/~/media//Files/nteu/docs/public/convention/2023/business-page/proposed-bylaw-amendments (accessed 2026-10-21)
- NTEU Constitution and Bylaws (older edition, comparison only) — Amended, 52nd National Convention, San Francisco, August 10-13, 2009 (copy posted by NTEU Chapter 23). https://nteu23.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/National-NTEU-Constitution.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: nteu.org does not publicly post the consolidated Constitution and Bylaws (searched site search and convention pages; 2023/2025 convention pages return 404). The 2021 edition used is a chapter-hosted copy (PDF metadata title 'NTEU Constitution and Bylaws: Amended August 2021'). DOL OLMS disclosure copy could not be retrieved (OLMS search API returned server errors). For comparison, the 2009 edition's Part IV, Sec. 2(D) allowed, instead of ballots in boxes, 'some standard type of election mechanical device ensuring a secret ballot by machine vote' and did not mention electronic/telephonic voting; the electronic/telephonic language therefore entered between 2009 and 2021. No NTEU chapter election manual was found publicly.
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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