Recently revised UFA election bylaws allow for members who are activated for military duty, and as a result are unable to reside in their primary New York residence, to vote in UFA elections and referendums via the Internet, beginning with the UFA officer election that concluded on June 13, 2005.
The UFA membership voted for offices including president, vice president, treasurer, health & safety officer/sergeant-at-arms and Manhattan borough trustee.
"UFA members are in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for our freedoms, including the right to elect leaders by popular vote," said Steven Cassidy, president of the UFA. "We are glad to extend to them the opportunity to exercise this right even as they serve, and wish each of them a swift and safe return."
The AAA developed its sophisticated online voting system six years ago. In addition to encryption to prevent the data from being accessed en route, the system also includes a firewall that automatically examines each message and blocks data lacking proper security clearance as well as a personal identification number password system that prevents repeat voting.
"Extending voting rights into war zones is an extreme application of e- voting technology, but it demonstrates what a powerful tool it is for private sector elections," said Jeff Zaino, vice president of Elections at the AAA. "Ten percent of all AAA elections clients, including most of the largest unions and private associations, have incorporated some form of electronic or Internet voting into their processes. While the examples may be less dramatic than reaching troops overseas, the AAA's e-voting technologies and procedures have proved efficient and secure across thousands of elections."
In the last two years, the AAA has seen a significant increase in acceptance and use of electronic voting by its clients, which include more than 300 unions running 350-400 elections annually. Some form of e-voting is used by the Communications Workers of America, Transport Workers of America, Allied Pilots Association, New York City Board of Education, United Faculty of Florida, Orange County (FL) Teachers Association, New Jersey Nurses Association, Denver Public Schools, Edison Schools, Inc., United Transportation Union, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Corning Credit Union, Employees Retirement System of Texas, Pennsylvania Doctors Alliance, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Henry E.S. Reeves Schools (FL), District of Columbia Retirement System and Metropolitan Nashville Davidson Board of Education.
