The voting procedures for a school district were inconsistent. One school (in the same district) distributed absentee ballots; another did not. The Union President distributed salary calculation sheets that overestimated teacher salaries, and he never recalled the incorrect sheets. Also, teachers on a leave of absence were never informed of the vote.

The contract passed by 9 votes. There are approximately 25 teachers who were absent or not informed of the vote. Was this a valid vote? - Anon., Oct. 4, 1998

A: Members of an organization may vote in absentia only if the bylaws allow absentee voting (RONR p. 415). Since some schools distributed absentee ballots and some did not, and since all schools are goverened by the same set of bylaws, this would indicate a serious procedural flaw.

That the members received the incorrect salary calculation sheets is unfortunate but not serious. At most, the Union might vote to censure the President for this.

Generally, absent members - including those on LOA - are not informed of upcoming votes unless the bylaws require it. I would expect that a contract vote would require previous notice, but you should check your bylaws.

Was it a valid vote? It sounds like there were enough irregularities to question it. You can leave it to your union to decide: have the Secretary send out notice of a vote whether the contract vote should be set aside (rescinded). But check with an attorney first. There are legalities involved that should be considered by a lawyer.