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Secretary Bowen Reminds Californians of
Law Allowing Time Off to Vote on Election Day

SACRAMENTO - To ensure all voters can get to the polls on November 6, California law provides employees up to two hours off to vote if they do not have enough time to do so during non-work hours. Polling places will be open between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

"In many cases, a voter's work schedule does not provide enough time on Election Day to make it to the polls," said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California's chief elections officer. "California law provides that, regardless of work schedules, all voters are entitled to two hours off during voting hours to cast a ballot on November 6."

California Elections Code section 14000 allows workers up to two hours off, without a loss of pay, to vote if they do not have enough time to do so in their non-work hours. The law requires workers to give their employers two working days' notice before the election if they will need to take time off to vote.

Every California employer is required to post in a visible location a notice informing employees of their rights at least 10 days before an election. The Secretary of State offers these free, print-ready notices in English and Spanish at http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/time-off-to-vote.htm.

Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter. To sign up for ballot measure updates via email, RSS feed or Twitter, go to www.sos.ca.gov/multimedia.

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