En esta noticia
Private employers in 28 states and the District of Columbia must let workers leave to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Twenty of those states and D.C. require at least some of that time to be paid, and most allow two or three hours.
There is no federal voting leave law, so each state sets its own rules. The other 22 states have no requirement for private employers, and Connecticut joined them when a temporary law expired in 2024.
Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas and D.C. also cover early in-person voting.
Where is time off to vote paid, and how many hours does your boss have to give you?
In these 20 states and D.C., at least part of the time off is paid:
- One hour: Wyoming
- Up to two hours: California, Colorado, D.C. (at least two), Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah
- Up to three hours: Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia
- One to three hours, depending on distance to your polling place: Nevada
- No set limit: Alaska, Minnesota and Texas
Some of that pay comes with conditions. Maryland and Oklahoma require proof that you voted, and Missouri and Wyoming pay only if you cast a ballot.
In eight states, the time off doesn’t have to be paid. Alabama allows up to one hour, Georgia and New Mexico up to two, Wisconsin up to three and Kentucky at least four.
Massachusetts grants the first two hours after polls open, but only at manufacturing, mechanical and mercantile businesses. Arkansas and Ohio set no amount.
Do you have to ask your boss for time off to vote before Nov. 3?
In most of these states, yes, and some deadlines fall this week:
- Friday: New York and California
- Saturday: Oklahoma and West Virginia, which requires a written request
- Noon Nov. 2: Tennessee
- Before Election Day: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, Utah and Wisconsin
Alabama, Georgia and D.C. allow employers to ask for reasonable notice. Nebraska accepts requests as late as Election Day.
When can your boss refuse to let you leave work to vote?
Most of these laws apply only if your shift leaves too little time to vote while polls are open. The cutoff is two free hours in states such as Iowa, Maryland and Texas, three in Arizona, Colorado and Missouri, and four in New York.
Even when you qualify, your employer can usually choose when you go. Colorado and Utah must honor a request to leave at the start or end of a shift.
In D.C. and Oklahoma, employers can also send workers to vote on an early in-person voting day instead of giving them time off on Election Day.
This article provides general informational guidance and does not constitute formal legal advice. Employment laws and local rules vary.