ElectionChamp
Union Officer Elections Online: An LMRDA Guide
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act sets the rules for union officer elections: secret ballots, one member one vote, an observer for every candidate, and records kept for a year. The Department of Labor allows remote electronic voting that meets them. Here's what's required, what ElectionChamp does, and what your election committee still does.
Secret Ballot
No one can connect a member to their vote: ballots are stored with no voter ID, timestamp or submission order.
One Member, One Vote
A single-use key for each member, with weighted voting left off.
Observers
Every candidate can have an observer. Give each one their own read-only link.
Records for a Year
The law requires one year. ElectionChamp keeps election records for 5.
What LMRDA Requires, and Who Does It
Each requirement, what ElectionChamp does for it, and what your organization does. Citations link to the sources at the end of the page.
| The requirement | ElectionChamp | You |
|---|---|---|
| Officers are elected by secret ballot: a member's vote is cast so that they "cannot be identified with the choice expressed."29 U.S.C. §402(k), §481(a)–(b) | Secret ballots in every election launched since October 11, 2026: each ballot is stored with no voter ID, timestamp or submission order. | Choose Result Visibility "No One", so no one can match changes in live totals to who has just voted. |
| Each member in good standing gets one vote.29 U.S.C. §481(e) | A unique, single-use key for each voter. Weighted Ballots is off by default. | Upload only members in good standing, one row each, and leave Weighted Ballots off. |
| A notice of the election mailed to every member's last known home address at least 15 days before the election.29 U.S.C. §481(e) | Email and SMS invitations carry each member's voting link. They add to the mailed notice; they don't replace it. | Mail the notice yourself, with the election dates and how members will receive their voting link. |
| Any candidate can have an observer at the polls and at the counting of the ballots.29 U.S.C. §481(c) | Read-only observer links: turnout, the voter list without voting keys, the audit trail with keys masked, and results whenever you can see them. Each link can expire or be revoked, and every view is logged. | Give each candidate's observer their own link before voting opens. |
| The Department of Labor expects observers to be able to follow the election: the eligibility list, how credentials go out, test runs, the count, and the logs.OLMS compliance tip, December 2024 | Observers see the voter list and the full audit trail (votes cast, reminders, resends, the close). You can run a test election, and the audit trail downloads as a CSV. | Invite observers to watch a test election and the opening of the results. |
| Members without internet access can vote another way on request.OLMS compliance tip, December 2024 | Manual keys: print a key for a member, who can then vote on any device, including a computer at the union hall. | Offer a computer at the hall, or another way to vote, to anyone who asks. |
| Adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election.29 U.S.C. §481(c) | Single-use keys, limits on guessing keys, ballots that can't be changed once cast, encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256), and a full audit trail. | Run the election under your constitution and bylaws. |
| Ballots and all other election records preserved for one year.29 U.S.C. §481(e) | Keeps every election for 5 years. After voting closes you can download the results, each question's per-ballot file and the audit trail. | Keep your downloads, eligibility list and notices for at least a year. |
| Results published, separately for each local.29 U.S.C. §481(e) | "Send Election Results" emails every voter a link to the results. | Run one election per local, and publish each local's results. |
| Candidates can distribute literature on equal terms and inspect the membership list once within 30 days before the election.29 U.S.C. §481(c) | Not part of the voting system. | Handle candidate requests as the law and your bylaws require. |
| Local officers elected at least every 3 years (intermediate bodies every 4, national and international every 5).29 U.S.C. §481(a)–(b), (d) | Not part of the voting system. | Schedule elections as your constitution and the law require. |
Set Up Your Election Like This
The settings that matter for LMRDA, step by step through the setup wizard.
The voting window your constitution and mailed notice set, in your local's time zone.
Result Visibility: No One. Weighted Ballots: off.
One Plurality question per office, with "vote for up to" the number of seats. Abstain if your rules allow it.
Members in good standing, one row each, with an email or mobile number.
Email and SMS invitations, and manual keys for members without internet access.
An observer link for each candidate's observer. Leave the Results tab closed until the count.
Your Election, Step by Step
-
1
Before nominations
Confirm eligibility
Settle who is a member in good standing, under your constitution and bylaws.
-
2
15+ days before the election
Mail the election notice
Mail it to every member's last known home address, with the dates and how members will receive their voting link.
-
3
Before voting opens
Build and test the election
Set it up with the settings above, and run a short test election that observers can watch.
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4
Before voting opens
Give observers their links
Add a read-only observer link for each candidate's observer, expiring when voting ends or later.
-
5
Voting opens
Send the voting links
Invitations go out by email and SMS. Hand out manual keys to members without internet access, and offer a computer at the hall.
-
6
While voting is open
Follow turnout
Watch turnout, send reminders, and resend lost links. Observers follow along.
-
7
Voting closes
Count with observers watching
Open the results with the observers present, then publish them.
-
8
For a year after
Keep the records
Download the results, per-ballot files and audit trail, and keep them with your eligibility list and notices. ElectionChamp keeps the election for 5 years.
LMRDA Questions
No. OLMS doesn't certify or endorse vendors. Its 2024 guidance explains what it looks for, and it reviews each election's facts if a member challenges it.
Not for officer elections: the LMRDA gives each member in good standing one vote. Leave Weighted Ballots off.
You can choose to, but watching live totals lets someone work out how individual members voted by matching changes to who has just voted. For an officer election, choose "No One" so results stay hidden until voting closes.
No. Each member gets a single-use, 16-character key, delivered in their personal link by email or SMS, or by hand. The Department of Labor's 2024 guidance favors multi-factor sign-in but doesn't require it; it looks at the safeguards as a whole.
No. Observers see turnout, the voter list without keys, the audit trail with keys masked, and results only when you can see them. They can't change anything.
The LMRDA requires one year. ElectionChamp keeps each election for 5 years after it closes, then deletes it after emailing you 30 days ahead.
Give them a manual key they can use on any device, offer a computer at the union hall, or provide another way to vote on request.
Sources
- 29 U.S.C. §481 (election of officers)
- 29 U.S.C. §402 (definitions, including "secret ballot")
- OLMS compliance tip: Electing Union Officers Using Remote Electronic Voting Systems (updated December 2024)
This guide explains how ElectionChamp supports a union officer election under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (29 U.S.C. §481) and the Department of Labor's guidance on remote electronic voting. It isn't legal advice: your constitution, bylaws and election committee decide how your election runs, and your union's counsel or the Office of Labor-Management Standards can advise on your situation. Last checked against the law and guidance in October 2026.
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