Paid time off to vote?

Jez · October 2004

Hi,

You were all so helpful in giving input about New Years Day, I figured I'd ask about November 2 as well. Do you provide any official paid time off for employees to vote, or do you handle this issue another way?

Thanks in advance.
- Jez

mushroomHR · October 2004

We don't provide any time for voting because our working hours are such that employees can vote either before work or after work.

AnneHa · October 2004

We do not pay ees for time spent voting. The polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm and no one is scheduled to work before 7:30 in the morning. Distance is not an issue either. To me, voting is a privilege and a right not another one of those employee entitlements, nor is it mandated like jury duty which we do pay for.

And in Ohio, you can vote absentee, early, and probably early and often.

Anne in Ohio

KathiHR · October 2004

"Often" must be right! I just heard on the news this morning that Ohio now has 4 counties with more registered voters than there are residents over 18. Is that what makes it a battleground state...more votes than people????

dchr9203 · October 2004

No paid time off; polls are open nowadays during hours that can accommodate virutally any shift schedule.

Whirlwind · October 2004

State employees in Texas, by law, are entitled to "sufficient time off" (with pay) to vote in national and statewide elections. I'm not necessarily in favor of it since -- as others have said -- the polls are open long enough to accommodate virtually any work schedule. But I've got no choice but to allow it. Our supervisors get into some pretty interesting arguments with their ee's about what constitutes "sufficient time off."

LarryC · October 2004

Here in Minnesota, The Land of 10,000 Losers Who Never Won the Big One, (Stassen, Mondale, Humphrey, and the Vikings, among others) employees are allowed a "reasonable" amount of paid time off in the morning of election day in order to vote.

DB · October 2004

We don't offer paid time off to vote but do follow a state law that requires time off if previously requested.

The website below contains an accurate link for Illinois - I don't know about the other states.

[url]http://www.timetovote.net/voter_leave_laws.html[/url]

SamanthaQ · October 2004

We used to provide time off to vote maybe 12-15 years ago but not anymore. As far as I know Michigan has no state stipulations about providing paid time off to do so.

WT · October 2004

States do vary on this issue. New York State requires time off for voting if there are not four consecutive hours when the polls are open. Unless your employees are working quite long hours, that requirement is not too hard to meet.

Leslie · October 2004

As a 7/24 facility, we do on a case by case scenario. It is tricky but we've never had a problem. Actually, it's mostly used by Native Americans who need to make a separate vote on their reservation which can be hours, even days, away.

njjel · October 2004

We have Election Day as a holiday! YIPPEE!

jingles · November 2004

What is the law in the state of MO - do you have to pay your employess time off for voting and if so how much time do they get off?

SMace · November 2004

Click on the link and then click on Missouri.

Paid time off to vote?

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