Topic Comparison
Time Off for Voting by state
Compare Time Off for Voting across states and jurisdictions, with links back to each full state voting guide.
Last reviewed: August 14, 2026. Generated from Can I Vote JSON voting-guide models.
Compare
Time Off for Voting comparison
| State | Status | Summary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Each employee in the state shall, upon reasonable notice to his or her employer, be permitted by his or her employer to take necessary time off from his or her employment to vote in any municipal, county, state, or federal political party primary or election... | State guide details |
| Alaska | Yes | A qualified voter who does not have sufficient time outside working hours within which to vote at a state election may, without loss of pay, take off as much working time as will enable voting. If any employee has two consecutive hours in which to vote, either... |
Alaska Elections
State guide details |
| Arizona | Yes | A. A person entitled to vote at a primary or general election held within this state may, on the day of election, absent himself for the purpose of voting from the service or employment at which he is employed if there are less than three consecutive hours... |
Arizona Elections
State guide details |
| Arkansas | Yes | Each employer in the state shall schedule the work hours of employees on election days so that each employee will have an opportunity to exercise the right of franchise. Any employer who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this section shall upon... |
Arkansas Code
State guide details |
| California | Yes | (a) If a voter does not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote at a statewide election, the voter may, without loss of pay, take off enough working time that, when added to the voting time available outside of working hours, will enable the... |
California Code
State guide details |
| Colorado | Yes | By law, an elector may get time off without loss of pay if he or she does not have sufficient time outside of regular working hours to vote. With prior notice to an employer, employees may take up to two hours off of work for the purpose of voting. The... |
Colorado Elections - www.sos.state.co.us
State guide details |
| Connecticut | No | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Delaware | No | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Florida | No | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Georgia | Yes | Each employee in this state shall, upon reasonable notice to his or her employer, be permitted by his or her employer to take any necessary time off from his or her employment to vote in any municipal, county, state, or federal political party primary or... | State guide details |
| Hawaii | Yes | If you are working on election day, you may be entitled to a maximum of two consecutive hours off from work in order to vote. Voters shall not be subject to any penalty, rescheduling of normal hours, or deductions from salary or wages because of such absence. |
Hawaii Election Code
State guide details |
| Idaho | Time Off for Voting in Idaho | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Illinois | Yes | Every employee is entitled, after giving notice, to two hours off work, provided that the employee's working hours begin less than 2 hours after the opening of the polls and end less than 2 hours before the closing of the polls. |
Illinois Election Code
State guide details |
| Indiana | No | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Iowa | Yes | Any person entitled to vote at an election in this state who does not have three consecutive hours in the period between the time of the opening and the time of the closing of the polls during which the person is not required to be present at work for an... |
Iowa Election Code
State guide details |
| Kansas | Yes | Any registered voter may leave work for a period up to two hours to vote. If the polls are open before or after the work shift, however, the voter may only take such time off that, when added to the amount of time before or after work that the polls are open... |
Kansas Election Code
State guide details |
| Kentucky | Yes | Employees may take four hours to vote. Employers may specify which hours the employee can take off. | State guide details |
| Louisiana | Time Off for Voting in Louisiana | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Maine | Time Off for Voting in Maine | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Maine state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Maryland | Yes | Every voter may take two hours off work so long as the employee does not have two hours of continuous off-duty during the time that the polls are open. |
MD Election Code
State guide details |
| Massachusetts | Yes | No owner, superintendent or overseer in any manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishment shall employ or permit to be employed therein any person entitled to vote at an election, during the period of two hours after the opening of the polls in the... |
MA Election Code
State guide details |
| Michigan | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Michigan law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Minnesota | Yes | Every employee who is eligible to vote in an election has the right to be absent from work for the time necessary to appear at the employee's polling place, cast a ballot, and return to work on the day of that election, without penalty or deduction from salary... |
MN Election Code
State guide details |
| Mississippi | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Mississippi law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Missouri | Yes | Any person entitled to vote at any election held within this state shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed, for a period of three hours between the time of... |
MO Election Code
State guide details |
| Montana | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Montana state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Nebraska | Yes | Any registered voter who does not have two consecutive hours in the period between the time of the opening and closing of the polls during which he or she is not required to be present at work for an employer shall be entitled on election day to be absent from... |
NE Election Code
State guide details |
| Nevada | Yes | Any registered voter may be absent from his or her place of employment at a time to be designated by the employer for a sufficient time to vote, if it is impracticable for the voter to vote before or after his or her hours of employment. |
Nevada Election Code
State guide details |
| New Hampshire | No | A person who is unable to appear at any time during polling hours at his or her polling place because an employment obligation requires the person to remain physically at work or to be in transit to or from work from the time the polls open until after the... |
NH Election Code
State guide details |
| New Jersey | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. New Jersey state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| New Mexico | Yes | On election day a voter may absent himself from employment in which he is engaged for two hours for the purpose of voting between the time of opening and the time of closing the polls. The voter shall not be liable to any penalty for such absence; however, the... |
NM Election Code
State guide details |
| New York | Yes | As a registered voter, you may take off up to 3 hours, without loss of pay, to allow you time to vote. | State guide details |
| North Carolina | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. North Carolina state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| North Dakota | No | The law encourages employers to establish a program to allow an employee to be absent for the purpose of voting if the employee's work schedule conflicts with voting during the time polls are open. This is voluntary for employers. There is no guaranteed right... |
ND Election Code
State guide details |
| Ohio | Yes | No employer, his officer or agent, shall discharge or threaten to discharge an elector for taking a reasonable amount of time to vote on election day; or require or order an elector to accompany him to a voting place upon such day; or refuse to permit such... |
Ohio Election Code
State guide details |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Employees who begin their work day less than 3 hours after polls open and finish less than 3 hours before polls close are entitled to 2 hours leave to vote (or more if distance requires). The employee must give notice the day before Election Day and cannot... |
OK Election Code
State guide details |
| Oregon | Time Off for Voting in Oregon | Time off to vote is subject to the employer.Oregon state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Pennsylvania | Time Off for Voting in Pennsylvania | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Pennsylvania state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | Election day is a legal holiday in Puerto Rico and most employees have the day off work. Employers running a business in operation on election day, however, must establish shifts allowing employees to go to the polls between 8am and 3pm. |
Puerto Rico Election Code
State guide details |
| Rhode Island | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Rhode Island state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| South Carolina | No | Time off to vote is subject to the employer. South Carolina state law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees. | State guide details |
| South Dakota | Yes | Any person entitled to vote at any election held within this state, including a primary election, shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent himself from any service or employment in which he is then engaged or employed for a period of two... |
SD Election Code
State guide details |
| Tennessee | Yes | Employees who begin their work day less than 3 hours after polls open and finish less than 3 hours before polls close are entitled to up to 3 hours paid leave to vote. The employee must request leave by noon the day before Election Day. The employer can set... |
TN Election Code
State guide details |
| Texas | Yes | Employees must be given time to vote without any penalty if polls are not open for 2 consecutive hours outside the employee's work day. |
TX Election Code
State guide details |
| Utah | Yes | Employees who do not have 3 consecutive hours when not required to be at work during the hours polls are open are entitled to up to 2 paid hours leave to vote. The employee must request leave before Election Day. The employer can set the time for leave, but... |
UT Election code
State guide details |
| Vermont | Time Off for Voting in Vermont | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Virginia | No | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| Washington | Yes | Employees who do not have 2 free hours (excluding meals and breaks) during their work day in which polls are open, and who receive their work schedule with insufficient time to request an absentee ballot, are entitled to up to 2 paid hours leave to vote. The... |
WA Election Code
State guide details |
| Washington DC | Time Off for Voting in Washington DC | No specific law requiring time off to vote. | State guide details |
| West Virginia | Yes | You can request up to 3 hours off from your employer, without taking leave or a deduction of pay, if you do not have at least 3 hours before or after work that you can go to the polls to vote. This request must be made in writing and be given to your employer... |
WV Election Code
State guide details |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Employees are entitled to up to 3 hours leave to vote. The employee must request leave before Election Day. Pay can be deducted for time lost. The employer can set the time for leave to vote. |
WI Election Code
State guide details |
| Wyoming | Yes | Employees who do not have 3 consecutive non-working hours while the polls are open are entitled to 1 paid hour leave (excluding meal times) to vote. The employer can set the time for leave to vote. |
WY Election Code
State guide details |
Questions
Common voting questions
What does this Time Off for Voting page compare?
This page compares Time Off for Voting across the jurisdictions available in the generated Can I Vote topic index.
Where does this comparison data come from?
The comparison is generated from structured Can I Vote JSON models built from the canonical state voting-guide XML data.
Where can I verify current voting rules?
Use the state guide details and official source links in each row, then confirm final instructions with state or local election officials before voting.