Run the votes your members expect without the wait.
Consultative ballots, branch and regional elections, NEC and committee elections, pay and conditions consultations, member surveys and conference delegate selections. Choice Voting runs them online with a secret ballot, instant results and a full audit trail, so your union gets a clear mandate the moment voting closes.
- Consultative and indicative ballots with instant results
- Branch, regional, NEC and committee elections by secret ballot
- Pay consultations and member surveys on any device
- Postal and hybrid voting for members who do not use email
- UK-hosted, ICO registered, branded to your union
What votes can a trade union run online?
Any vote that your own rule book governs, rather than the 1992 Act, can be run online with Choice Voting today. That means consultative and indicative ballots, branch and regional elections, NEC and committee elections where the rules allow, pay and conditions consultations, member surveys, conference delegate selections and policy motions. These are the everyday votes that keep a union running between statutory ballots, and they are exactly what Choice Voting is built for.
Ballot your members. Hear their voice.
Unions need formal votes that produce a defensible mandate and consultations that tell the leadership what members actually think. Choice Voting handles both from the same login.
Run votes that stand up
For general secretaries, election committees and branch officers who need a ballot that is secret, properly counted and stands up when the result is announced.
- Consultative and indicative ballots with instant results
- Branch, regional, NEC and committee elections by secret ballot
- STV, instant runoff or first-past-the-post
- Full audit trail on every result
Give members a voice you can act on
For bargaining teams, policy teams and communications officers who need to know what members want before going into negotiations or shaping union policy.
- Pay and conditions consultations
- Member satisfaction and workplace surveys
- Conference delegate selections and policy motions
- Real-time analytics and exportable reports
Know which votes are yours to run, and which have their own rules.
Most of a union's democracy is governed by its own rule book. A handful of ballots are governed by the 1992 Act instead, with an appointed scrutineer. Choice Voting is built for the first group, which is where the volume is.
Votes under your own rules
The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 does not prescribe how these are conducted. Your rule book decides, and they can lawfully be run online today.
- Consultative and indicative ballots
- Branch and regional elections
- NEC and committee elections (where rules allow)
- Pay and conditions consultations
- Member surveys and satisfaction polls
- Conference delegate selections
- Policy motions and advisory votes
Statutory ballots
These are run by an independent scrutineer appointed under the Act. Since 25 August 2026 that scrutineer can run them electronically or by post. Your scrutineer and legal team handle these; we handle everything else.
- Industrial action ballots
- Statutory officer elections (general secretary, president)
- Political fund ballots
- Merger ballots
- Recognition and derecognition ballots
Legal position correct as at September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how the law applies to your union with your legal team before relying on it.
A show of hands at a branch meeting is not a mandate.
When the branch chair asks for raised hands and estimates the count, there is nothing to show if a member questions the result or the executive asks for evidence. Choice Voting turns every vote into a structured, defensible outcome your members can trust.
Recent Results
Branch Secretary Election
Consultative Ballot: Pay Offer
Every union decision, in one place.
From a consultative ballot on a pay offer to a branch committee election, each one runs on the same secure platform and feeds the same reporting.
Consultative and Indicative Ballots
Gauge member support before statutory action. A clear mandate from a proper secret ballot, with results the moment voting closes.
Branch and Regional Elections
Elect branch secretaries, chairs and committee members by secret ballot, with candidate statements and STV or FPTP counting.
NEC and Committee Elections
Run national executive and standing committee elections online where your rules allow, with proper nomination handling and counting.
Pay and Conditions Consultations
Consult members on pay offers, terms and conditions changes, and take a structured view of what the membership will accept.
Member Surveys
Run satisfaction surveys, workplace condition assessments and policy preference polls to understand what matters to your members.
Conference Delegate Selections
Select conference delegates and run policy motions online, giving every eligible member the chance to participate.
Set up a ballot in minutes.
Whether it is a consultative ballot or a branch election, the process is the same four steps.
Choose your type
Ballot, election, consultation or survey. Set the question, add candidates or options, pick your voting method.
Add your voters
Import your membership list and set who is eligible, by branch, region, grade or the whole membership.
Open the vote
Branded with your union's logo. Invitations and reminders go out. Members take part on any device, with postal options where needed.
Announce the result
Results the moment voting closes, turnout confirmed and a full audit log you can share with members, branches and the executive.
Everything the union needs. Nothing it does not.
True secret ballot.
No administrator, officer or Choice Voting staff member can see how an individual voted. The system proves the vote was properly conducted without revealing any choice.
STV, IRV and first-past-the-post.
The voting methods union elections actually need, built in. The Election Wizard guides you to the right one for your ballot.
Postal and hybrid voting.
Members who do not use email are not excluded. We help you bring every eligible member into the same vote and the same count.
Eligibility by branch, region or grade.
Restrict voting to the right group as your rules require. A branch election goes to the branch, a national consultation goes to the whole membership.
Candidate nominations.
Collect nominations online with candidate statements and declarations, then move straight into the ballot. No re-keying, no manual steps.
Branded to your union.
Your logo and your voice. Members see their union, not ours.
UK-hosted and secure.
Encrypted, UK-hosted and ICO registered. Member data and votes stay confidential.
Full audit trail.
Every ballot, vote and result logged and timestamped, exportable as evidence if a result is questioned by a member or the executive.
Instant results.
Results appear the moment voting closes. No waiting for a count. The bargaining team and the executive know immediately.
Trusted where the result has to be right.
Choice Voting runs elections, ballots and consultations for membership organisations, unions and institutions across the UK.
Trade union voting: the questions unions ask us most.
Give your members a vote they trust.
Consultative ballots, branch elections, pay consultations and member surveys. One secure platform, one audit trail, every result you can stand behind.