AP18:164
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2018
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575
California Law Allows Time Off to Vote on Election Day
SACRAMENTO – To ensure that all voters have time to vote on Election Day, November 6, California law permits employees to take up to two hours off work without loss of pay if they’re unable to make it to the ballot box during non-work hours.
“Even if your work schedule makes it too tough to get to your polling place before or after the work, you have the right as a voter to cast your ballot on November 6,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “State law gives voters the right to take up to two hours off of work to go vote without a loss of pay.”
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 notify their employers two working days before the election if they need to take time off to vote.
Polling places are open between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
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’s office offers these free, print-ready notices in 10 languages at: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/time-vote-notices/
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