Topline
Election Day is less than two weeks away as the clock ticks down on the 2024 election, which could impact paychecks of some Americans who take time out of their workday to cast their ballots, depending on their states’ voting leave laws.
Key Facts
Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., require businesses to give their employees time off during the work day on Election Day to vote (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota. Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming), according to management services firm ADP.
However, seven of those states do not require employers to continue paying employees while they are out casting their ballots: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Some states, such as Oklahoma and Iowa, require employees to let their employers know they will need voting leave before Election Day (Nov. 5), according to ADP, which noted notice time for employers can vary.
Many of the states providing paid time off to vote are not required to give time off for voting if there is a reasonable amount of time for an employee to vote outside of work hours while polls are open, according to Axios.
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What States Give Paid Time Off To Vote?
The states that require employers to continue paying employees while they vote are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., also does.
What States Have Zero Voting Leave Statutes?
The states with no mandated voting leave are Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Surprising Fact
The Census Bureau found the most common reason Americans reported for not voting in 2022 was being too busy with conflicting work or school schedules (26.5% of registered voters who did not cast a ballot in the midterms).
Key Background
Millions of Americans have already casted early votes, with CNN reporting more than 18 million Americans had already voted as of Tuesday. In addition to early voting, voters across 39 states can cast their ballots via mail without having to provide a reason for doing so, while voters in nine states must provide eligible reasons to vote via mail, according to CBS News, which notes Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire offer no early voting and also require an eligible reason to vote by mail. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race nationally and within swing states. Six surveys from the last week found Harris had an edge over Trump while three others gave Trump a slim lead at the national level, though many recent polls have found either candidate’s lead within the margin of error.
Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Trump Up In 3 New Surveys—Harris Leads In 2 Others (Forbes)
Election 2024 Swing State Polls: Trump Leads Harris In 4 States, Tie In Georgia (Updated) (Forbes)
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