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When the Government committed in its manifesto to finally allow “modern and secure electronic balloting” for industrial action ballots, it sounded like a long-awaited breakthrough. Unions have been calling for e-balloting for over a decade, not just because it’s more convenient but because digitising balloting enables democratic participation and increases accessibility. In most European countries electronic balloting has long been in place meaning ballots can be done quickly and effectively.
Yet in the UK we are nearing the end of 2025 and still waiting on an update from the Government. The Bill was set to become law later this year, but the promised working group on implementation, has been quiet with no consultation dates, membership list, or timetable shared or mentioned so far.
And that silence matters because every month that passes without progress is another month where tens of thousands of union members are still forced to vote by post in systems that belong to the previous century. The 2016 Trade UInion Act only made it harder for unions with increased thresholds and longer notice periods. The hope is that the new Employment Rights Bill repeals almost all of that.
At Movement we’ve been running electronic balloting for several years, seeing it used in the field for indicative ballots and GOTV. It’s secure and has proven time and again to be the difference in driving action and votes. So why aren’t we seeing progress on digital ballots for industrial action?
Postal ballots don’t fit the modern workplace
The current system is an anachronism that relies on the assumption that the post in workers’ homes will be easily accessible, and that workers are static and easy to reach. None of that is 100% true in 2025.
In workplaces that run 24-hour shifts, in gig roles, and in a digital economy built on immediacy, postal-only voting suppresses participation. It disadvantages younger workers and those in precarious roles, the very people unions most need to reach.
The Knight Review concluded back in 2017 that electronic balloting was feasible and secure, recommending pilot schemes to test the process. So far those pilots haven’t happened. Eight years later, the technology is ready, the infrastructure exists, and the demand has never been higher. What’s missing is political will.
Transparency and urgency are non-negotiable
The Government’s commitment to introduce e-balloting through the Employment Rights Bill and the proposal of a working group was a step forward, but it’s a promise that must now be delivered with transparency.
Information on its progress would go a long way. Who is on that working group? What standards will guide its work? When will unions, platforms, and technology providers get to contribute?
These are not procedural questions, they’re central to trust. Because when we talk about digital democracy, trust is the foundation. Workers need to know that their vote is secret, verifiable, and accessible.
If the group is truly going to report by early 2026, the conversation really needs to begin now.
Movement is already ballot-ready
At Movement, we’ve spent the last few years building the infrastructure unions will need the moment e-balloting is legal. Our platform already powers secure, large-scale indicative ballots and internal votes across major unions.
This year alone, UNISON, PCS, and Prospect have used Movement to run internal and indicative ballots mobilising thousands of members, building campaign momentum, and winning change before a single postal vote was cast.
For the NEU’s teachers’ strike a few years ago we saw GOTV with Movement prove successful - helping them reach the hallowed above-50% threshold for the first time since the requirement was introduced. More recently PCS achieved an over 50% threshold in their latest campaign for the first time in a few years using Movement.
We’ve proven that digital balloting can be fast, secure, and transparent. Members log in, verify securely, vote once, and get confirmation, all with the audit trail and data protection standards expected of a modern democracy.
In short: the infrastructure exists. The culture exists. The appetite exists. All that’s missing is the legislative green light.
The cost of delay
Every delayed reform costs unions time and participation. Ballot turnout thresholds introduced in 2016 mean that every lost vote counts and postal systems are ultimately slower than emails. (Ideally both these systems would be used to ensure accessibility of course). postal systems lose votes every day.
If the goal of modernisation is fairness, then maintaining a system that locks out working people from the democratic process is indefensible. Electronic balloting is secure too, certainly at Movement we meet the required security thresholds with SOC2, electronic balloting isn’t a threat to integrity but an upgrade to it.
Where we go next
As the working group on e-balloting is (hopefully) convened before year-end, there are three things we need:
- Transparency: publish the group’s remit, membership, and timeline.
- Union involvement: those running ballots must be at the table.
- Momentum: test pilots in 2026 and full rollout by 2027.
This doesn’t need another decade of discussion. The technology is ready. If the UK wants to modernise democracy, it must trust the same digital tools that already power our petitions, our campaigns, our donations, and our daily lives.
At Movement, we’re ready to help make that happen.
We’re proud to be working with unions who are already leading the way, showing that technology, when built for organisers, strengthens democracy rather than dilutes it.
If you’re a union or campaign that wants to modernise how you mobilise and vote, now is the time to get ready. Because when the door finally opens to electronic balloting, those who have prepared will be the ones who shape how it works.
