Originally Posted by RPC Unity

On a related subject, the Local 357 has decided to conduct the E-Board Election via "mail-in Ballot". There is NO IBT requirement to use regular mail, nor does the Department of Labor require mail-in Ballots. In fact, most Unions use an online process. The following are some of the labor organizations use online ballots;

Airline Pilots Association (ALPA)
Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA)
Frontier Airline Pilots Association (FAPA)
Independent Pilots Association (IPA)
National Pilots Association (NPA)
NetJet Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NetJet ASAP)
Southwest Airline Pilots Association (SWAPA)
Transport Workers Union Locals - Air Transport Division (TWU-ATD)
US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA)
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA)
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
National Mediation Board (NMB)

The benefits are obvious, online voting is easier for the individual members, and the voters can change their vote up until the close of the election. Using an online process greatly increases the number of members that participate. I can't think of a reason why the Local 357 has decided to use mail-in ballots, unless they would prefer a low percentage of participation versus a high percentage of participation.