Short answer: Not by phone, fax or email. The 2024 UNITE HERE Constitution says that in local and joint board elections "proxy, write-in, telephonic, fax, email or sticker votes shall not be permitted to be counted" (Art. 8, Sec. 10). Internet voting is not named. Mail ballots may be used if the President or Executive Committee authorizes them (Art. 10, Sec. 2).
| Verdict | Prohibited by International rules |
| Ratification / strike votes | Method left to local bylaws |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"Candidates for local office, executive board membership, elected business agent and other positions shall be elected in an election by secret ballot. ... The local union shall determine and announce the date, time, and place of the election."
"Mail ballots may be used if authorized by the President or Executive Committee. ... Each qualified candidate shall be entitled to have an observer present in the polling place during the voting and the final tally and count of the votes."
Electronic, internet, phone or remote voting
"In any election under Article 9 through Article 11, inclusive, of this Constitution, proxy, write-in, telephonic, fax, email or sticker votes shall not be permitted to be counted."
"If the election is to be conducted by mail ballot, any such request shall be submitted at least ten (10) days before the ballots are scheduled to be mailed to the voters."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"Local Unions shall be governed by the model by-laws attached as Appendix A to this Constitution unless they have adopted or adopt their own by-laws. By-laws adopted by a local union may not conflict with this Constitution, or with federal, state or provincial laws, and must be reviewed by the President for that purpose."
"The President shall review any new or amended by-laws of Local Unions and other subordinate bodies, recommend to the Executive Committee whether or not to approve them, and propose any changes to the by-laws of a subordinate body which may be necessary to conform to Federal, state, or Provincial laws and this Constitution. By-laws shall be deemed approved if the Executive Committee makes no objection within thirty (30) days of receipt of same."
"The President shall cause to be promulgated guidelines for affiliate elections, which may be followed by affiliates."
"Affiliates shall have the exclusive right to conduct officer elections, except that UNITE HERE may conduct officer elections where the affiliate has failed to do so within the time required by law."
Contract ratification and strike votes
"All collective bargaining agreements shall be subject to ratification by the members in good standing covered by same except where the union is threatened with decertification, withdrawal of recognition or rival union raid or where the agreement is imposed by an interest arbitration award."
"The method by which a strike vote is taken shall be determined by the by-laws of each affiliate. It shall require a majority vote of those voting in order to sanction a strike, unless an affiliate's by-laws require a higher percentage."
Open questions
Art. 8 Sec. 10 bars counting 'telephonic, fax, email' votes in local (Art. 10) and joint board (Art. 11) elections, but does not name internet/web-based ballots; otherwise the text contemplates polling places and mail ballots authorized by the President or Executive Committee. The ratification verdict applies to strike votes only (Art. 22: method set by affiliate by-laws); contract ratification method is not specified.
Context
- Has Canadian affiliates (Canadian joint boards hold elections under Canadian labour law per Art. 11 Sec. 2(a)); LMRDA applies only to U.S. affiliates.
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
- UNITE HERE! Constitution 2024 (OLMS attachment '2024-UNITE-HERE-Constitution.pdf', 'Constitution, Bylaws and Other Attachments', filed by UNITE HERE, National Headquarters, OLMS file no. 000-511, received 2025-03-27) — 2024 (cover); references June 20, 2024 Five-Year Convention changes (Art. 23 Sec. 2). Appendix A (model by-laws) is referenced but not included in the filed copy.. https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=71174&rptForm=attachment (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: Appendix A (model by-laws) and the President's affiliate election guidelines (Art. 8 Sec. 1) were not obtained; the OLMS-filed constitution omits Appendix A and nothing was found on unitehere.org.
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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