06/27/2026
Attached is an amendment to Article 6. This amendment changes the National Convention to use Ranked-Choice Voting if more than two candidates are running for National Office. We know that at least three major candidates are running for National President. We want to ensure that the winner receives a majority of the vote. If we keep the current system, the winner could receive less than 40% of the vote. Please read our submitted amendment, and if you support it, please spread the word. Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 1
Amend Article 6, Section 11 of the NALC Constitution
Establishing Ranked-Choice Voting Ballot Procedures
WHEREAS, the National Association of Letter Carriers is founded upon democratic principles and the fair representation of its membership, and the manner in which members cast their ballots is fundamental to the integrity of our union's democratic process; and
WHEREAS, Article 6, Section 11 of the NALC Constitution currently provides that members shall indicate a single choice for each officer position on the official mail-in ballot, which in elections with more than two candidates does not allow members to fully express their preferences among all candidates seeking the same office; and
WHEREAS, ranked-choice voting allows members to rank candidates in order of preference, ensuring that every member's ballot continues to count even when their first-choice candidate is eliminated, and that no vote is wasted in a multi-candidate race; and
WHEREAS, ranked-choice voting is already being used successfully by numerous labor unions across the United States, demonstrating that it is a fair, reliable, and trusted method that produces outcomes reflecting the true will of those who cast their ballots; and
WHEREAS the election of National Trustees differs from other national officer elections in that three positions are filled simultaneously by the candidates receiving the three highest vote totals, and ranked-choice voting is designed for single-winner elections and is therefore not appropriate for the National Trustee election, which shall remain under existing ballot procedures; and
WHEREAS the existing infrastructure of the NALC national election — including the National Election Committee, the official mail-in ballot system, and the balloting association — provides a strong and reliable foundation upon which ranked-choice ballot procedures can be implemented without significant disruption or additional cost; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that Article 6, Section 11 of the NALC Constitution be amended by striking the following existing language:
EXISTING LANGUAGE — STRICKEN:
"All regular members shall be entitled to one vote for each office to be filled. The voter shall indicate their choice for each of the officers by following the procedure established by the National Election Committee as set forth in the ballot instructions."
NEW LANGUAGE — ADOPTED IN ITS PLACE:
"All regular members shall be entitled to one vote for each office to be filled. Whenever more than two candidates are nominated for any national office, with the exception of the National Trustee election, the voter shall rank the candidates for that office in order of preference, marking their first choice as 1, their second choice as 2, and continuing in order for as many candidates as they wish to rank, by following the procedure established by the National Election Committee as set forth in the ballot instructions. No member shall be required to rank all candidates, and any ballot ranking at least one candidate shall be considered valid. Whenever only two candidates are nominated for an office, or in the election of National Trustees, the voter shall indicate their choice by following the existing procedure established by the National Election Committee. Write-in votes shall not be valid."
RESOLVED, that the National Election Committee shall make sure that all ballots, instructions, and information about ranked-choice voting are written in simple, easy-to-understand language that every member can follow, and that all of these materials are mailed to every member and branch at least sixty days before any election conducted under this amendment; and be it further
RESOLVED, that before the first election using ranked-choice voting ballots, the National Executive Council shall run a member education campaign using the Postal Record, the NALC website, branch newsletters, and any other available means to make sure every member understands how to correctly fill out a ranked-choice ballot; and be it further
RESOLVED, that all other provisions of Article 6, Section 11 not specifically addressed by this amendment shall remain in full force and effect; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this amendment shall become effective immediately upon adoption and ratification and shall apply to all national officer elections held following nominations at the Convention at which this amendment is adopted.
Submitted by Branch 642 approved at NALC Branch 642 membership meeting 5/14/2026
President ____________________ Date__________________
Secretary_____________________ Date__________________
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2
Amend Article 6, Section 13 of the NALC Constitution
Establishing Ranked-Choice Voting Counting Procedures
WHEREAS, the National Association of Letter Carriers is founded upon democratic principles and the fair representation of its membership, and the method by which votes are counted and winners declared is central to the legitimacy of our union's democratic elections; and
WHEREAS, Article 6, Section 13 of the NALC Constitution currently provides that in elections for all offices, the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected, meaning that in a race with three or more candidates, a candidate may be declared the winner with as little as one-third or less of the total votes cast; and
WHEREAS, electing a national officer without a majority mandate undermines the legitimacy of that officer's leadership and leaves a majority of voting members unrepresented by their preferred candidate; and
WHEREAS ranked-choice vote counting resolves this problem by eliminating the last-place candidate and redistributing those ballots to remaining candidates in successive rounds until one candidate achieves a true majority of fifty percent plus one of the votes cast; and
WHEREAS ranked-choice vote counting is a proven, transparent, and auditable process that has been successfully implemented by numerous labor unions, municipalities, and state governments across the United States; and
WHEREAS the election of National Trustees differs from other national officer elections in that three positions are filled simultaneously, making ranked-choice counting inappropriate for that race, and the existing plurality procedure shall therefore continue to govern the National Trustee election; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that Article 6, Section 13 of the NALC Constitution be amended by striking the following existing language:
EXISTING LANGUAGE — STRICKEN:
"In elections for all offices, the candidate (or candidates, where the election is for a group of identical offices) receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected."
NEW LANGUAGE — ADOPTED IN ITS PLACE:
"In elections for all offices in which only two candidates are nominated, the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In elections for any office in which more than two candidates are nominated, ranked-choice voting shall be used to determine the winner as follows: (a) In the first round, only first-choice votes shall be counted. If a candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes cast, that candidate shall be declared elected. (b) If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate receiving the fewest first-choice votes shall be eliminated. All ballots cast for the eliminated candidate shall be redistributed to the remaining candidates based upon the next-ranked choice indicated on each such ballot. (c) Following redistribution, if a candidate has achieved a majority of votes among the remaining active candidates, that candidate shall be declared elected. (d) If no candidate has yet achieved a majority following redistribution, the elimination and redistribution process shall continue in successive rounds until one candidate achieves a majority and is declared elected. (e) In the event of a tie for the fewest votes between two or more candidates subject to elimination in any round, the National Election Committee shall determine the eliminated candidate by lot using a documented and publicly witnessed random process. (f) All rounds of ballot counting shall be fully documented and publicly reported to the membership. The final tabulations shall be certified by the balloting association to the National Election Committee; said results shall be promptly certified by the National Election Committee to the incumbent Secretary-Treasurer; and the results of the election including all rounds of counting shall be officially announced by the Secretary-Treasurer in the next edition of The Postal Record. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the election of National Trustees shall not be subject to ranked-choice voting. The three candidates receiving the largest number of votes in the National Trustee election shall be declared elected under the existing plurality procedure, as three positions are filled simultaneously in that election."
RESOLVED, that for the avoidance of doubt, the ranked-choice voting counting provisions of this amendment shall apply only to single-winner national officer elections and shall not apply to the election of National Trustees, in which three positions are filled simultaneously and the three candidates receiving the highest vote totals shall continue to be declared elected under the existing procedures; and be it further
RESOLVED, that every round of vote counting conducted under this amendment shall be fully written down, shared openly with all members, and subject to the same audit and challenge procedures that govern current NALC national elections under Article 6, Section 14, so that every member can trust that the counting was done correctly and fairly; and be it further
RESOLVED, that after the first election conducted under this amendment, the National Election Committee shall prepare and share a full report with the membership explaining how the counting process worked, what challenges if any were encountered, and what improvements if any are recommended for future elections; and be it further
RESOLVED, that all other provisions of Article 6, Section 13 not specifically addressed by this amendment shall remain in full force and effect; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this amendment shall become effective immediately upon adoption and ratification and shall apply to all national officer elections held following nominations at the Convention at which this amendment is adopted.
Submitted by Branch 642 approved at NALC Branch 642 membership meeting 5/14/2026
President ____________________ Date__________________
Secretary_____________________ Date__________________
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 3
Amend Article 6, Section 15 of the NALC Constitution
Updating Tie-Breaking Procedures for Ranked-Choice Voting
WHEREAS, the National Association of Letter Carriers is founded upon democratic principles and the fair representation of its membership, and clear, fair, and transparent tie-breaking procedures are essential to the integrity of our union's democratic elections; and
WHEREAS, Article 6, Section 15 of the NALC Constitution currently provides that in the case of a tie vote for a particular office, another election shall be held among the tied candidates, a procedure designed for the existing plurality voting system that does not address the unique tie-breaking situations that may arise during the counting rounds of a ranked-choice election; and
WHEREAS, in a ranked-choice election, a tie may occur between two or more candidates competing for elimination in any given round of counting, and a clear and pre-established procedure for resolving such ties is necessary to ensure that the election proceeds fairly, efficiently, and without dispute; and
WHEREAS, resolving mid-count ties by lot — using a documented and publicly witnessed random process — is the accepted standard practice among jurisdictions and organizations that conduct ranked-choice elections, and provides a fair and transparent method for breaking ties at the elimination stage without requiring an entirely new election; and
WHEREAS, the National Trustee election, which is exempt from ranked-choice voting, may also produce a tie for the final qualifying seat when multiple candidates receive an equal number of votes for the third position, and a clear tie-breaking procedure for that specific circumstance should also be established; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that Article 6, Section 15 of the NALC Constitution be amended by striking the following existing language:
EXISTING LANGUAGE — STRICKEN:
"In the case of a tie vote for a particular office, another election for that office shall be held among the candidates for whom an equal number of votes is cast."
NEW LANGUAGE — ADOPTED IN ITS PLACE:
"In elections conducted under the existing two-candidate procedure, in the case of a tie vote for a particular office, another election for that office shall be held among the candidates for whom an equal number of votes is cast. In elections conducted under ranked-choice voting, tie votes between candidates subject to elimination in any round shall be resolved by lot using a documented and publicly witnessed random process overseen by the National Election Committee, as provided in Section 13(e) of this Article. A new election shall only be required in the event of a final tie between the last two remaining candidates after all rounds of elimination and redistribution have been completed. In the election of National Trustees, in the case of a tie for the final qualifying position among candidates receiving an equal number of votes for the third seat, another election for that position shall be held among the tied candidates under the existing plurality procedure."
RESOLVED, that the National Election Committee shall establish and publish the specific tie-breaking by lot procedure prior to any election conducted under this amendment, so that all candidates, observers, and members are fully informed of the process in advance; and be it further
RESOLVED, that any tie-breaking by lot conducted under this amendment shall take place in the presence of at least three members of the National Election Committee and shall be fully documented and reported to the membership; and be it further
RESOLVED, that all other provisions of Article 6, Section 15 not specifically addressed by this amendment shall remain in full force and effect, including the provision governing the death of a nominee; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this amendment shall become effective immediately upon adoption and ratification and shall apply to all national officer elections held following nominations at the Convention at which this amendment is adopted.
Submitted by Branch 642 approved at NALC Branch 642 membership meeting 5/14/2026
