The Musicians Union of Los Angeles
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
The results are in! See the 2022 election returns here.Starting on November 1, all eligible voters (Regular and Life Members in good standing) will be mailed a ballot, along with the Election Special Edition of Overture containing candidate statements and photos. (This special edition of Overture may also be found in the members-only section here — click the “Scales & Documents” tab.)
Replacement Ballots: If you did not receive your mail-in ballot, or need to request a replacement, please send an email to: 47request@trueballot.com
Get involved in your Union’s democratic process! Be sure to review important election information below. To review the Local 47 Bylaws, you may access them in the members-only section here (click the “Scales & Documents” tab), or contact the Secretary/Treasurer’s Office at 323.993.3159 to request a hard copy.
Should you have any questions about the election please contact a member of the Election Board. Only members of the Election Board — no Local 47 officers or staff members — are authorized to answer any questions concerning the election.
Information for Voters
Voting by Mail
Instead of going to the polls on December 13, you may vote using the ballot that will be mailed to every Regular and Life member eligible to vote on or around November 1. (Inactive Life Members who wish to vote: see Policy Governing Eligibility to Vote #4, above.) After you receive your absentee ballot and have completed it, return your vote-by-mail absentee ballot ASAP by mailing it in the envelope provided only to the address printed on the envelope — DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT TO LOCAL 47; it will be voided.
If voting by mail, members are required to be sure their mailed ballot arrives in the election post office box by 9 a.m. on the day of the election. Please don't let anyone else mark or handle your ballot, or see how you vote. Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to return your mail-in ballot.
When your vote-by-mail absentee ballot is received by the Post Office, it will remain in the P.O. Box until the Election Day when it is picked up by the election board and election company at 9 a.m. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the election company shall verify the absentee ballot and place it in a sealed ballot box to be counted with the other ballots cast. Vote-by-mail absentee ballots received at the post office after 9 a.m. on the Election Day or cast in violation of instructions in accordance with Local 47 Bylaws shall be null and void.
Voting in Person
Alternatively, members may vote in person on election day at AFM Local 47 headquarters, 3220 Winona Ave, Burbank CA 91504. Polls will be open on Tuesday, December 13 from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Policy Governing Eligibility to Vote
1. All Local 47 members who are in good standing as of 4:45 p.m. (close of business) on December 12, 2022 — the last business day prior to the General Election — are eligible to cast a ballot. However, members are encouraged to be in good standing well in advance of this deadline.
2. Any Local 47 member who has been suspended or expelled for the non-payment of dues, or wishing to reinstate within one year of resignation, shall have until 4:45 p.m. on December 12, 2022 by which to clear the delinquency and return to full good-standing status in order to be eligible to cast a ballot.
3. New members, or those rejoining after having resigned or been expelled more than one year ago, must complete and submit a membership application and membership dues payment no later than December 5, 2022 by 4:45 p.m., so that their membership can be approved at the next Local 47 Executive Board meeting the Tuesday prior to the General Election. All applicable fees apply. (Note: The Local reserves the right to refer applications of all persons seeking reinstatement from resignation to the International Executive Board per Article 9, Section 19 of the Federation’s Bylaws.)
4. Life Members in good standing may vote in the Local 47 General Election. Inactive Life Members, who pay a reduced membership fee, are not eligible to vote per our Bylaws. Inactive Life Members wishing to vote may do so by changing their membership status to Life Member by contacting the Membership Department at 323.993.3116 and completing the process by 4:45 p.m. on December 12, 2022. All applicable fees apply.
Membership Status
In order to ensure your eligibility to vote, please be sure your membership is in good standing well in advance of payment due dates! Members with Work Dues delinquencies in excess of $500 have 30 days following the date of the Executive Board meeting at which hearing action is taken to avoid suspension. Dues may be paid online at afm47.org/dues or by calling 323.993.3116.
Casting Votes
Per Article IX, Section 14 of the Bylaws: Each member may cast votes for as many candidates in each category as there are positions to be filled. The member may choose to cast votes for fewer candidates than there are positions to be filled, but not for more, and should more than the allowed number of votes be marked for any category, that portion of the ballot shall be deemed invalid.
Information for Candidates
Eligibility for Office
To be nominated for any office a member must have been in continuous good standing for a period of 365 calendar days immediately preceding October 1 in any election year. To hold any office, a member must have been in continuous good standing for the period of 365 days immediately preceding the scheduled date of installation of office at the Inaugural Meeting on January 9, 2023. It is possible that a member may have been suspended during the prior 365 days and not know — for example, late payment of dues.
No member shall hold nor accept nomination for more than one office, although they may additionally accept nomination for and hold the position of Delegate or Alternate Delegate. However, members nominated for the offices of President, Vice President, or Secretary/Treasurer shall not be eligible to accept separate nomination for Delegate or Alternate Delegate. Further, candidates for President, Vice President, or Secretary/Treasurer, because those officers are automatically Delegates, shall not appear separately on the ballot as Delegate (see Bylaw Article IX, Section 2).
Nominating Petitions Available August 1, Due September 15
Nominating petitions for the upcoming General Election are available from the Secretary/Treasurer’s office as of August 1, 2022. To request a petition, members may fill out the Nominating Petition Request Form here (note: the petition request form will close for submissions at 4:45pm on 9/16/2022) or contact the Secretary’s Office at petition@afm47.org or 323.993.3159. All completed nominating petitions with at least 50 signatures from members in good standing must be delivered to the Secretary’s Office, in exchange for a signed and dated receipt, no later than 4:45 p.m. on September 15, 2022. Please do so early. Members on a slate need only file one petition. Further instructions will be provided to those who request a petition.
Prohibited Campaigning Directive
The use of Local 47 resources, or the resources of ANY other union or employer — whether hiring musicians or not — by any candidate or member, for the purpose of campaigning for or against any candidate for office in the Local 47 election, is prohibited by the Local’s Bylaws and is also a violation of Federal Law. This prohibition includes the use of facilities, equipment or property (including telephones, stamps and stamp machines, computers, copying machines, and any other equipment or materials), official endorsements, use of union logos and/or letterhead, and any campaign activity done on paid time. Additionally, members are barred by Article IX, Section 13 of the Local 47 Bylaws from collecting nominating petition signatures while on Local 47’s premises. Further, members are prohibited from campaigning at any time while on Local 47’s premises.
However, obtaining signatures on public property (i.e., sidewalks surrounding the Local’s property or off-site locations) IS permissible, as long as those collecting signatures and the members are using unpaid time (e.g., before or after work for any union or employer, or while on an unpaid break). Nothing in the Bylaws prohibits friends/family of a candidate from soliciting signatures on nominating petitions provided they abide by all the rules listed above.
Electronic Communications Policy
Following the intent of Article IX, Section 12, of the AFM Local 47 Bylaws, it shall be a matter of policy that the rules and restrictions as outlined in said Bylaw shall also apply to all electronic communications published by Local 47, including Overture, the Local 47 website (afm47.org), the Local 47 email newsletter “The Local 47 Beat,” any special notices sent by Local 47 via email blast, and all associated social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).
Stay tuned to further notices and refer to this election web page for updates about the voting process on AFM Local 47 Election Day, December 13, 2022. Members with an email on file will receive election updates via email, and those whose emails are not on file or who have opted out of electronic notifications will receive printed announcements by mail. To be sure to get the latest news most quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, please update your email address on file at afm47.org/directory. Please be sure your mailing and email addresses are current. Now would be a good time to do that!