Electronic and Worksite Voting: The Right Approach to UFT Officer Elections

The Unity Caucus proposes a task force to investigate the feasibility of electronic and worksite voting for the 2028 UFT Leadership election.

Recently, several blog posts have discussed the format for the upcoming UFT leadership election.  The Unity Caucus believes that the election should be conducted in a way that ensures ease of voting for all members, while also complying with legal requirements that will protect the union from potential federal challenges that could overturn the results. This could involve electronic voting, worksite voting, or a combination of both. However, implementing such a system before the election notice goes out next month is simply not feasible. Any call to quickly adopt these changes is unrealistic and frankly irresponsible.

Back in 2021, members of the MORE, ICE, New Action, Solidarity and Retiree Advocate caucuses proposed and voted for a motion for the Election Committee to add the word "electronic" to the election notice. At that meeting, it was made clear to these groups that simply adding the word "electronic” in the balloting section of the Election Notice would not automatically make it feasible. Nonetheless, they all voted to add the word regardless of the implications to the union and its members. Considerable time, effort, and work is needed to change the officer election process for one of the largest local unions in the nation. If such a change were to take place, it would need to happen well in advance of the election to ensure the process is correctly implemented.

Unfortunately, these caucuses decided to take no action on this issue whatsoever over the past three years. This pattern of inaction has become all too familiar. These groups prioritize their political gain over the well-being of UFT members.  The other caucuses want chaos and confusion.  Unity provides stability and clarity. 

For these reasons, the Unity Caucus is recommending the creation of a task force to explore the viability of moving to an election system in 2028. It may include electronic voting, worksite voting, or a hybrid system, but it must be thoroughly researched, inclusive, and in full compliance with the law. This task force should also evaluate the availability of vendors capable of implementing such a system.

The Challenges Ahead

1. Electronic Voting  

The first challenge is that the UFT Constitution does not currently allow for electronic voting. This means the union would need to amend its Constitution to permit electronic voting.  Amending the Constitution is a significant process, and it needs to be done properly.

Even if the Constitution is amended, the UFT would still need to ensure that electronic voting complies with all relevant laws. For instance, in a traditional mail-in ballot election, we can observe the creation of ballots and watch the ballots being printed. A similar system would need to be developed for electronic voting. While this is certainly possible, it requires careful planning and resources to ensure compliance with legal standards. Additionally, the current paper ballots for UFT elections are extensive, often allowing voters to cast nearly 900 different votes. An online system capable of handling such complexity would need to be carefully designed and tested to ensure it works smoothly and securely. This is not possible to complete with just 3 months before the election.

Moreover, when this issue was raised previously, it was reported that no vendor could handle such a complex task. While this may have changed over the last few years, creating an effective system requires significant lead time and planning. 

2. Worksite Voting

Some have proposed that we conduct voting at work sites, pointing out that this is done for ratification votes and chapter elections. However, an officer election is far more complicated. To conduct worksite voting at each location, the union would need to establish polling stations, assign polling workers, and ensure that candidates can observe the process. This could require creating thousands of polling stations, each with its own set of workers and observers. If any issues arise at these locations, they will need to be investigated, potentially opening the election to scrutiny by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Department of Labor.

The logistics of managing thousands of polling stations, ensuring legal compliance, and addressing potential complaints would be overwhelming. It would also be extremely costly. A model that could possibly work is to set up a polling site in each UFT Borough Office, not itself without significant logistical challenges. Whether there is time to implement that before the election is yet to be seen.

3. Hybrid Voting Models

Some have suggested offering all three voting options—mail-in ballots, electronic voting, and worksite voting—allowing each member to choose the method that works best for them. However, this idea also presents numerous logistical and compliance issues. For example, it would be difficult to ensure that members do not vote more than once. If someone voted by mail and then also voted electronically, their votes could be invalidated, disenfranchising them in the process. A reconciliation process would be needed to ensure that no one votes multiple times, but this would add another layer of complexity and expense.

While offering choices in how members vote may seem appealing, it is simply not a feasible solution for a large election like this, especially on such short notice.

A Path Forward

These concerns are not arguments against electronic voting, worksite voting, or a hybrid model altogether. The issue is that these changes cannot be implemented overnight, especially for an election of this size. Members of the MORE, ICE, EONYC, New Action, Solidarity, and Retiree Advocate caucuses had years to raise these issues but chose not to act until now. Unfortunately, this means that their calls for change upon the eve of this election cannot be addressed in the next 3 months. To claim otherwise is naïve and unrealistic.

The Unity Caucus believes the best way forward is not to make hasty decisions on the eve of the election. Such actions would not be in the best interests of the UFT and its members. Any group attempting to push for these changes now is doing so for political gain, risking the integrity of the UFT in the process. Given the likelihood of a Trump-appointed NLRB’s hostility toward labor, now is not the time to introduce such major changes in such a haphazard manner.

Instead, the Unity Caucus proposes that after this election, a task force should be created to thoroughly investigate the feasibility of electronic and worksite voting options. This task force should provide a detailed report on what would need to be done to implement these options in compliance with the law. The report should be delivered years before the next election, giving the union enough time to amend the Constitution, engage with vendors, and ensure that the election process is both secure and compliant with all legal requirements.

The Unity Caucus is committed to finding practical, rational, and effective solutions for UFT members. Unlike other groups that prioritize political gain over the union's well-being, the Unity Caucus remains steadfast in its dedication to protecting the interests of all UFT members and ensuring that our union remains strong, secure, and protected from outside interference.