Election Day is not a federal holiday in the U.S., which means that many Americans are occupied with work on the Tuesday that follows the first Monday of November. This is the day assigned for federal, state, and local general elections. However, it’s important to note that 28 states and numerous companies do ensure their employees have time off to vote.
The absence of a federal law that solidifies voting leave means that some employees may suffer financial losses if they have to take time off work to vote. This is contingent on the regulations of the state where they reside and work.
There have been multiple proposals to declare Election Day a federal holiday, the most recent of which was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California. Her proposal, the Election Day Holiday Act, is currently on hold in Congress. Rep. Eshoo cited research indicating that 26% of Americans state that work and other responsibilities prevented them from voting.
“No one should be unable to vote because they have to work or care for a family member,” Rep. Eshoo said in February.
The 2020 election saw 62.8% of the voting-age population casting their votes, which is the highest turnout in decades for a U.S. election, though it still lags behind many developed countries, according to Pew Research.
Election Day is held on a Tuesday due to the needs of 19th-century farmers. Back then, white men who were allowed to vote needed time to travel into town to vote after church on Sunday and farm work. Hence, Congress chose the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Nowadays, many working Americans are at work on Election Day, often leading parents to scramble for childcare as their kids have the day off school. This has led organizations like Politisit to offer free childcare on Election Day in several states.
28 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring employers to give workers time off to vote. These include 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. North Dakota encourages but does not require this.
In the absence of a federal law, voting leave depends on state laws. However, over 2,020 companies have joined the Time to Vote initiative, launched in 2018 by Levi Strauss, Patagonia, and PayPal, which commits to giving employees enough time to vote. Ikea is also offering up to two hours of paid time off to vote on Election Day for the first time this year.
