JURISDICTION |
COVERED INDIVIDUALS |
POTENTIAL ENTITLEMENT |
CONDITION PRECEDENTS |
MUST TIME BE PAID? |
Alabama |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 1 hour to vote, unless the employee has 2 hours available before or 1 hour after work to vote. |
Employee must provide reasonable notice of intent to vote. |
No express provisions. |
Alaska |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed enough time to vote, unless the employee has 2 consecutive nonworking hours to vote. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
Arizona |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 3 consecutive hours to vote, unless the employee has 3 consecutive nonworking hours to vote. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes. |
Arkansas |
Any voter |
Employer must schedule work hours in a manner that allows all employees to vote in all elections. |
No express provisions. |
No express provisions. |
California |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed enough time at the start or end of work
to vote in a statewide election, when added to free time during voting
hours. |
Employee must make an application to vote at least 2 business days before the election. |
Yes, but limited to 2 hours. |
Colorado |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 hours to vote, unless polls are open
during 3 nonworking hours. State personnel system employees receive 2
hours' administrative leave. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes, but limited to 2 hours for hourly workers, with no penalties or deductions. |
Georgia |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 2 hours in any municipal, county,
state, or federal primary or general election, unless the employee has
2 nonworking hours to vote. |
Employee must make an application to vote with reasonable notice. |
No. |
Hawaii |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 consecutive hours to vote, excluding
lunch or rest periods, unless polls are open during 2 nonworking hours. |
No express provisions. |
Yes, if vote is cast. Voter's receipt constitutes proof. |
Illinois |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 hours to vote while polls are open. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes. |
Iowa |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 3 voting hours when polls are open,
unless the employee has 3 consecutive nonworking hours when polls are
open to vote. |
Employee must make a written application to vote before voting day |
Yes. |
Kansas |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 consecutive hours to vote while polls
are open. If polls open before or after work, then employee is allowed
enough time off, when added to free time, to equal 2 hours. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
Kentucky |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed reasonable time to vote, but not fewer
than 4 hours while polls are open. Employees are also allowed up to 4
hours to request an application or execute an absentee ballot on day
appearing before clerk, during business hours. |
Employee must make an application to vote prior to voting day. |
No. |
Maryland |
Any employee who claims to be a registered voter. |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 2 hours to cast a ballot, unless the employee has 2 continuous nonworking hours to vote. |
No express provisions. |
Yes, only if the employee provides proof (see State Board prescribed form) that he or she voted or attempted to vote. |
Massachusetts |
Any voter employed in manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile businesses. |
Eligible voter is allowed time off during the first 2 hours that polls are open. |
Employee must make an application to vote. |
No. |
Minnesota |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is entitled to "sufficient" time to vote. The law does not specify the amount of time employees must be granted. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
Missouri |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is entitled to 3 hours to vote, unless polls are open during 3 successive nonworking hours. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes, if vote is cast. |
Nebraska |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 2 hours to participate in all elections, unless polls open 2 hours before or after work. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes, if application is made before election day. |
Nevada |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed "sufficient time" to vote, unless
"sufficient time" exists during nonworking hours. Specifically, the
employee must be granted 1 to 3 hours to vote, depending on poll's
distances as follows:
- 1 hour if the distance between the voter's place of employment and polling place is 2 miles or less;
- 2 hours if the distance is from two to 10 miles; and
- 3 hours if the distance is more than 10 miles.
|
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes. |
New Mexico |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 hours to vote, unless work begins 2 hours after polls open or ends 3 hours before polls close. |
No express provisions. |
No express provision except that time off must be without penalty,
but Attorneys General have construed law to require pay, limited to 2
hours for hourly paid workers, except where workday ends more than 3
hours before polls close and there is no loss of pay. |
New York |
Any voter |
Eligible voter allowed up to 2 hours to vote in any election,
unless "sufficient time" exists during nonworking hours; 4 consecutive
nonworking hours while polls are open is "sufficient." |
Employee must make an application to vote 2-10 work days before election day. |
Yes, limited to 2 hours. |
North Dakota |
Any voter |
Employers are "encouraged" to provide time off to vote when
employee's regular work schedule conflicts with times that polls are
open. |
No express provisions. |
No express provisions. |
Ohio |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is entitled to reasonable time to vote (amount not specified). |
No express provisions. |
Only salaried employees must be paid. |
Oklahoma |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 2 hours to vote, except where
employee has 3 hours before or after work. Employers located too far
from the polls for employees to vote within 2 hours must grant
sufficient time for employees to travel to and from the polls and to
vote. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes, if vote is cast. |
Puerto Rico |
Any voter |
Election day is a legal holiday. Employees must be allowed to vote between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. |
No express provisions. |
No. |
South Dakota |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 hours to vote, unless polls are open during 2 consecutive nonworking hours. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
Tennessee |
Any voter |
Eligible voter must be allowed reasonable time to vote, up to 3
hours, unless polls in the county where the employee is a resident are
open 3 hours before or after work. |
Employee must make an application to vote prior to noon the day before the election. |
Yes. |
Texas |
Any voter |
Amount not specified. Eligible voter is not entitled to any time
off if the polls are open during 2 consecutive nonworking hours. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
Utah |
Any Voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 2 hours to vote, unless polls are open during 3 or more nonworking hours. |
Employee must make an application to vote before voting day. |
Yes. |
Washington |
Any voter |
If an employee has insufficient time to secure an absentee ballot
because the employer did not inform him or her about the work schedule
for a primary or election day, the employer must allow the employee
sufficient time off to vote. An employer must grant the employee up to
2 hours of leave time, unless the employee has 2 hours of nonworking
time to vote. Meals and rest periods cannot be counted as non-work time
for voting purposes. |
No express provisions. |
Yes. |
West Virginia |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 3 hours while polls are open, if necessary. |
Employee must make written application 3 days prior to Election Day. |
Yes, unless employee has 3 hours of nonworking time available to vote and fails to vote during such time. |
Wisconsin |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed up to 3 consecutive hours to vote while polls are open. |
Employee must make an application to vote before Election Day. |
No. |
Wyoming |
Any voter |
Eligible voter is allowed 1 hour, unless polls are open during 3 or more consecutive nonworking hours. |
No express provisions. |
Yes, if vote is cast. |