From December 7 to 13, UC-AFT will be holding a statewide special election to choose a Vice President for Racial and Social Justice. This election comes at a particularly important moment, as we confront a presidential administration that is fundamentally hostile to higher education generally and to racial and social justice initiatives within our institutions specifically.
Participation in elections is central to our union democracy. The position of VP for Racial and Social Justice is a new officer position created this past July when the Chapters ratified an amendment to the UC-AFT Constitution adding Article VI.2.6.
All dues-paying members of UC-AFT are encouraged to attend statewide candidate forums that will be held during the weeks of November 7 and November 30 (exact dates to be determined based on candidate availability) (via Zoom) and to join similar events at your local chapter – they are a great way to better understand how our union democracy works.
Below we provided as much information as possible to address your questions about the election. If you have additional questions, email contact@ucaft.org.
What’s on the Ballot?
Every two years, UC-AFT elects officers to our statewide Executive Board. Biennial elections were last held in spring 2025, prior to the addition of a statewide position of Vice President for Racial and Social Justice. This fall of 2026, UC-AFT is holding a special election to fill that newly created office, for a term to begin January 15, 2027. For the inaugural term of office, the candidate elected in this cycle will serve until June 30, 2029; thereafter, the office will be up for re-election in the spring of 2029, on the same cycle as the other statewide Executive Board offices.
Learn more about these roles and responsibilities at https://ucaft.org/about/governance/ and about the specific duties of this office in Art. VI, sec. 2, para. 6 of the UC-AFT Constitution.
You can learn more about the 2026 UC-AFT Special Election slate and candidate statements once nominations are closed – names will be posted on October 23, and statements will be available by November 7. The candidates will participate in two candidate forums to be scheduled for the weeks of November 9 and 30, on Zoom. The forums are open to all members. During the forums, candidates will deliver statements and answer questions.
Any member in good standing (i.e. current members) of UC-AFT who has worked at UC for at least one year is eligible to run in this election.
Nominations are open from September 22 to October 22. Any person who has been a member of their Chapter for at least one year may nominate an eligible person to run in this election. Self-nominations are welcome.
How to Vote
Participation in leadership elections is crucial to our union democracy and this election is a particularly important one! All UC-AFT members will be asked to vote for their statewide leadership. To ensure maximum participation, our 2026 UC-AFT Special Elections will run from December 7 to 13. Additional information about voting is below.
All current UC-AFT members in good standing who have been employed at UC during the current academic year (2026-2027) are eligible to vote in this election.
Make sure your preferred, non-UC email address is up-to-date with your local chapter to ensure you receive a ballot. If you don’t receive your ballot or aren’t sure whether your email is correct, contact your local chapter immediately.
Not a member of UC-AFT? Join today at https://connect.aft.org/app/memberforms/01474/join
Ballots will be distributed electronically at 8:00 am on December 7, 2026. Each UC-AFT member will receive a unique, anonymous ballot. Ballots will be emailed to the address to which you receive other UC-AFT communications (you can check with your chapter field representative that your preferred, non-UC email address is up-to-date). The ballots will come from “ElectionBuddy Elections” and can sometimes land in spam folders (so check there!).
Voting will close at 5:00 pm on December 13, 2026.
Make sure your preferred, non-UC email address is up-to-date with your chapter to ensure you receive a ballot. The ballots will come from “ElectionBuddy Elections” and can sometimes land in spam folders, so be sure to check there as well. If you don’t receive your ballot, email contact@ucaft.org immediately.
