Am I Entitled to Paid Time Off for Voting?

With the midterm elections looming, many working Americans face the challenge of finding time to vote this Tuesday. As noted by Business Insider, some companies are legally required to provide employees with time off to vote, though it depends on the state you live in.

There is no federal law that mandates time off for voting, and unlike some countries like France and Mexico, Election Day is not a federal holiday. However, the majority of states have laws providing voter leave, often referred to as time-off-to-vote laws. Paid leave is required in 22 states, while seven others mandate unpaid leave. Mississippi is unique in that it grants time off to vote but doesn’t clarify if it will be paid.

In the states that offer paid time off, most allow workers to leave for two or three hours, which typically accommodates long wait times at polling stations. Some states allow employees to take as much time as they need to vote. Three of the five largest states—California, Texas, and New York—offer paid time off, while Florida and Pennsylvania do not provide any time off at all.

The states that provide paid time off include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The states that provide unpaid time off are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.

Of the 20 states not required to provide any time off, 11 are located along the East Coast. While Oregon and Washington don’t technically offer time off, they are vote-by-mail states, meaning employees generally won’t need to leave work to vote.

Even if you reside in a state without a voter-leave law, it’s still a good idea to check with your employer about the possibility of time off as a courtesy. According to Mic, nearly 250 companies have declared Election Day a company-wide holiday or have promised paid time off for voting. This includes companies like Lyft, Etsy, Pinterest, Dropbox, Levi Strauss & Co., and Change.org.

For more detailed information about how much time off you're entitled to and what you need to know before taking leave, check out Business Insider’s article and map (click to enlarge).