SECTION 1. When the International Executive Council decides to submit any matter or question to a referendum of the membership of the International Union, either pursuant to the requirements of this Constitution, or to the requirements of any law, or in the exercise of the Council’s judgment, the Council shall decide whether to conduct the referendum directly or through the Local Unions.

SECTION 2. In either event, the Council shall appoint a Referendum Committee, to promulgate the rules and procedures to govern the referendum and to supervise the conduct of the referendum. The referendum shall be conducted in such a manner as to ensure that the member expressing his/her choice with respect to the issue submitted cannot be identified with the choice expressed.

SECTION 3. “Direct Referendum—Where “the Council has decided on a direct referendum, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall promptly require each Local Union to submit to him/her, within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the request, an up-to-date, corrected list of the names and addresses of its members in good standing, certified by the Local President and Financial Secretary-Treasurer. The ballots shall be uniform and shall be mailed within a single twentyfour (24) hour period by the International Secretary- Treasurer to the members of the International Union in good standing. The dates for the returning and for the counting of the ballots shall be fixed by the Referendum Committee, which shall be responsible for the proper counting of the ballots and the certification of the result. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall preserve for at least one (1) year the ballots and all other records of his/her office and of the Referendum Committee pertaining to the referendum.

SECTION 4. “Referendum by Local Union “—When the Council decides to conduct the referendum through the Local Unions, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall send by registered mail to each Local Union as many ballots as there are, according to his/her records, members in good standing in each respective Local union. The ballots shall be uniform. The Referendum Committee shall fix the date and manner of voting in each Local Union and shall determine the manner in which the votes shall be counted. The tally of the voting in each Local Union shall be signed and certified by the Local President and the Local Financial Secretary- Treasurer, and all ballots, valid, soiled and unused, shall be delivered to the International Secretary-Treasurer who shall preserve them for at least one (1) year, together with all other records of his/her office and of the Referendum Committee, pertaining to the referendum. The Referendum Committee shall tally and certify the results of the voting.