Government publishes Electronic & Workplace Balloting Code of Practice

Government guidance for trade unions, independent scrutineers, employers and union members on the conduct of electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots was published on the 28th July 2026. 

This code of practice provides practical guidance on electronic balloting and workplace balloting for the following statutory trade union ballots:

• industrial action ballots
• union elections
• ballots on union political funds
• ballots on amalgamations of unions
• ballots on transfers of engagements between trade union

The code also applies to the use of workplace balloting for industrial action ballots.

The Code of Practice can be viewed here, in pdf format.

Trade union leaders including Matt Wrack of the NASUWT, Daniel Kebede of the NEU, Dave Calfe of ASLEF, Steve Gillan of the POA, Sarah Woolley of BFAWU and Fran Heathcote of PCS recently urged the new PM to stick by Labour’s Manifesto commitments on e-balloting and ballot thresholds. The Trade Union Co-ordinating Group sent a joint letter pressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham to immediately roll out electronic balloting and fully repeal the 50% strike ballot turnout threshold.

Key Demands in the letter were to:

• Abolish Thresholds: the group urged the government to completely drop the 50% turnout requirement implemented under the 2016 Trade Union Act.
• Electronic Voting: they demanded the immediate introduction of e-balloting without tying it to delayed monitoring or pilot review periods.
• International Compliance: Burnham was warned that delaying full repeal risks placing the administration in violation of International Labour Organisation conventions

You can read the letter in full here.