FAQ for General Election Candidates
UTLA GENERAL ELECTION 2025-2026
All candidates should carefully review and follow the Election Manual, which can be found at utlaelections.org/information/election-manual/.
These FAQs are intended to assist candidates with understanding the Election Manual, but do not alter or supersede that document. This document provides references to the Election Manual, and is not a substitute for it. Further questions should be directed to the Election Committee. Please contact the UTLA Elections Committee at utlaelections.org/contact/.
What should candidates start immediately?
Candidates should immediately set up a system for keeping track of donations they receive including non-monetary contributions. If you are part of a slate, your slate should have a treasurer and a system for reporting donations and expenditures. Individuals who file under a slate name must also file an individual form even if their numbers are all zero and all donations and expenditures went through the slate.
Review the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report (CCDR) at utlaelections.org/candidates/campaign-contribution-disclosure-report/. You have the option of keeping track of donations and expenditures on a spread sheet. You will upload and use the form only as a summary. All contributions $25 or above must be itemized with the name of the contributor. (E.M. Article IX. Section I).
What financial records do I need to report to the Election Committee?
You must report all campaign contributions and expenses that are used in your campaign. Therefore, set up a record keeping system and keep your receipts and record who contributed and how much. Remember, only UTLA members, family or personal friends may contribute to your campaign. All contributions $25 or above must be itemized with the name of the contributor. (E.M. Article IX. Section I).
Who can donate to my campaign?
Only UTLA members, personal friends and family members can donate to your campaign. Organizations may not contribute to your campaign. (E.M. Art. IX, Section I).
Who can endorse me?
UTLA members can endorse you. Chapter Chairs can endorse you and can be identified as a chapter chair. UTLA Committees cannot endorse any candidates or participate in any campaigning.
If an individual who is on a committee endorses a candidate, their title as a committee member cannot be listed by the candidate with their name. (E.M. Art. IX, Section F).
Organizations may not endorse you. Make sure you make that clear to any organizations you are associated with. (E.M. Art. IX, Section I).
Where can candidates find the rules for campaign contributions?
Campaign contribution rules are detailed in Article lX. Section I of the Election Manual:
Candidates (including prospective candidates) shall not seek or receive financial support or any other form of support (including, without limitation, endorsements, services, or materials) for his or her candidacy from any labor organization or employer, regardless of the relationship between that labor organization or employer to UTLA.
Candidates shall not seek or receive financial support, or any other direct or indirect support of any kind (except an individual’s own volunteered personal time) from anyone who is not a member of UTLA, or a personal friend or family member of the candidate. Violation of this rule shall render a candidate ineligible to run for or hold office for a period of one year. This period of disqualification shall be remedial, not disciplinary. Candidates must report any and all financial or material support pursuant to Section H of these rules. (E.M. Article IX, Section J).
What contact information will be made available to candidates?
No member’s lists, emails, telephone numbers, or other contact information will be provided to candidates except for the Chapter Chair and Area Director contact list. “A candidate may not use union resources, except those provided by the Elections Committee to all candidates, to access member contact information for the purposes of campaigning.” (E.M. Article IX, Section E.)
How can I get member phone numbers and email addresses?
If you speak with members at their school with the permission of the Chapter Chair, at a meet and greet or other events you can ask members if they want to receive campaign materials from you. Members can voluntarily give you their contact information. Have a sign-up sheet that clearly states that by filling out the sign-up sheet, the member is giving the candidate permission to contact them about election related matters. Maintain those lists with your financial records. You may need to produce them if there is a challenge.
It seems like incumbents have a lot of advantages. The manual says Incumbents cannot campaign while performing official duties. Article IX. H.
Incumbents are required and permitted to represent UTLA and perform the duties of their elected position. They are doing their jobs. They cannot campaign while performing those duties. (E.M., Art. IX, Section H). Additionally, UTLA resources may not be uses to support any candidate. (E.M., Art. IX, Section E). Incumbents are still expected and permitted to perform their responsibilities for UTLA, including by communicating with members about UTLA business
I see lots of candidates’ picture with UTLA shirts. Is that allowed? I thought candidates can’t use UTLA logos.
Campaign materials distributed by the candidate, or by anyone else, shall not have printed upon them, the UTLA, CTA/NEA, CFT/AFT, or AFL-CIO logo. Exempt from this requirement are signs, pins, stickers, buttons, pictures, t-shirts, hats, and other materials worn by individuals, which appear in photographs. (VI. C.)
When can I declare my candidacy to run?
Candidates may begin submitting a Declaration of Candidacy form beginning August 14, 2025.
Can candidates let members know they are running at any time?
Potential candidates may inform members that they are planning to run, however, they are not a candidate until they have submitted a Declaration of Candidacy form, and it is determined that they are eligible.
When will potential candidates be notified of their eligibility to run for office?
The Elections Committee shall verify candidate eligibility within five (5) business days of the close of declarations. Candidates shall have five (5) business days to appeal the decision of the Elections Committee to the Elections Committee, or correct deficiencies in eligibility. (E.M. Article lll, Section D)
What if there is only one candidate running for a position?
- In the event there are only three (3) NEA Board of Directors candidates in an area, they shall be declared winners by acclamation.
- In the event there is only one (1) AFT Board of Director candidate in an area, they shall be declared the winner by acclamation.
- In the event there is only one candidate in the special category Board of Directors, they shall be declared the winner by acclamation. (E.M. Article lll, Section E)
How are contested elections determined?
For the NEA Board of Directors Area election:
The three (3) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
For the AFT Board of Directors and special category Board of Directors:
The candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. If there is a tie for the third place NEA Director or the AFT Director, then a second-round runoff election will be scheduled.
If any of the candidates in the runoff, filed for Area Chair, the second-round runoff to determine the director would need to be completed.
If after the second round of voting there are two elected candidates who declared for Area Chair, a third round election would be required to determine the Area Chair.
If two candidates filed for Area Chair and they were both elected, but there was a tie for the third NEA position or the AFT position, a second-round ballot is used to determine both the winner of the director position and the Area Chair.
If two directors were elected and they both declared for Area Chair, there will be a second round.
For officer elections:
The candidate receiving the highest number of votes who has also received at least a majority of votes shall be declared elected. In the event that one officer candidate does not receive a majority of votes cast in the first balloting, a runoff election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes, unless there is a tie for the second highest, in which case, the runoff will be among the top three candidates. (E.M. Article lll, Section F)
Who is eligible to vote?
All UTLA members are eligible to vote providing that they have been active dues paying members for at least one month prior to the beginning of voting.
Can Itinerant members vote in this election?
All itinerant members will receive a ballot with the Officer candidates and any Special Director candidates they are qualified to vote for. Ex. A nurse would be eligible to vote for the Health and Human Services Director.
However, in order to vote in an Area Director race, they must have filled out the Itinerant Assignment Form, listing their schools or other assigned work sites.
Please encourage all Itinerant members to fill out this form and tell them about UTLA Areas. Point out the LAUSD and UTLA Areas are not the same. UTLA has not changed the names of their Areas. (North, South, East, West, Central, Valley East, Valley West and Harbor) The district reorganizes every few years. They currently are also using Ordinal Directions, North, South, East, and West to label their regions. So, it can be confusing.
How is a candidate’s eligibility determined?
Any person who has been an active member in good standing for at least twenty-four months immediately preceding the last date for filing a Declaration of Candidacy form shall be eligible to run for office. (E.M. Article V, Section A, Clause 1)
What if a member was on protective leave or is missing dues because they did not pay one or more months?
If a member was on a protected leave or was working as a substitute teacher during the previous twenty-four months and is missing dues because they did not get paid for one or more months, they will be notified that they are ineligible unless they pay dues for the months that are missing. (E.M. Article V. Section A, Clause 3)
Do candidates have the right to distribute campaign materials to UTLA members?
Candidates must follow all LAUSD security procedures when visiting a school site. Use the contact list to set up a meeting with the chapter chair outside of instructional time or with the whole staff during a chapter meeting. Make sure to follow the rules regarding campaign materials in the Election Manual. (E.M. Article VI, Section D., Clauses 3 and 4)
Candidates may use the Chapter Chair and Area Director list to communicate with Chapter Chairs and, when appropriate, the Area Directors about their campaign. Candidates can request that the Chapter Chair forward their flyers to their members and request a time to speak at their UTLA meeting. Normally Areas only allow candidates to speak at the Area Meeting before the ballots are available.
The Election Committee will encourage Chapter Chairs to honor requests for distribution of materials.
This contact information can only be used to support the candidate in this election and may not be used for any other political, personal, or commercial purposes. The Election Committee will encourage Chapter Chairs to honor requests for distribution of materials.
All candidates may campaign at work sites with the prior approval of the Chapter Chair. Such approval should be granted by a Chapter Chair unless the work schedule issues would make it impossible or disruptive for the candidate to campaign at that school on that particular day.
The Election Committee will encourage Chapter Chairs to grant approval for candidates to campaign at work sites.
Can candidates create social media or other webpages or online campaign materials?
Yes, however UTLA is not responsible for the content or for monitoring or policing the content. (E.M. Article VI, Sections 7 and 8) Candidates who set up Facebook pages, websites, or other social media sites for their campaign can continue to update their message and announce any events for their campaign.
Who is responsible for the ballots and the ballot count?
When an independent Election Services Company is contracted, it shall be responsible for emailing a PIN to all eligible members for whom UTLA has a valid non-LAUSD email address. The Election Services Company will also provide members with access to their PIN through Find My PIN. Subject to supervision by the UTLA Elections Committee, the Election Services Company will tabulate the ballots. (E.M Article Vll, Section A)
What should a candidate do if they believe there has been a violation of either the Election Manual or of the UTLA Constitution?
Candidates may report possible campaign violations through the contact form available on the website. After the election the candidate may request a hearing by the Elections Committee by filing a written challenge no later than 5:00 pm of the fifth working day after elections results are posted. (E.M. Article Xl, Challenges to the Elections)
Where can a candidate find the forms needed for UTLA elections?
All forms are available on the UTLA Elections website at utlaelections.org on the Candidate page.
Where can I find election information?
All relevant information about the UTLA 2025-2026 Election — including the Timeline, candidate’s forms, the UTLA Election Manual, FAQs, and Elections Committee Contact information — can be found on the UTLA Elections website at utlaelections.org.
There are also additional FAQs and presentations on the website. This FAQ will be updated periodically in response to additional questions the Elections Committee receives.