On January 11, 2011, the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) issued a request for information concerning electronic voting systems in union officer elections. Such electronic voting systems include (1) electronic voting machines used for casting votes at polling sites; (2) electronic voting from remote site personal computers via the Internet; and (3) electronic voting from remote site telephones. It does not include electronic counting of ballots which are cast by hand.
OLMS is trying to determine whether electronic voting systems are feasible in union officer elections. Under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), the minimum standards for such elections requires that the elections provide voter secrecy, candidate observers rights and election safeguards, and preservation of records. The request seeks information on whether electronic voting systems are able to meet these safeguards. Public comments are due by March 14, 2011.
