GREENSBORO, N.C. — Does your employer have to give you time off to vote?
There's no federal law mandating it and the states are split on it.
USA TODAY compiled a list of how the states shake out.
Twenty-one states have no laws on the books about employers having to give employees time off to vote, North Carolina is one of those 21 states.
There are a handful of states that give you time off to vote, but with no pay (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Wisconsin). The rest of these states have some sort of provision for employers to give employees time to vote during the workday.
That said, most of these state laws say the employer doesn't have to provide time off if the polls are open 2-3 hours before or after an employee's shift. So, basically saying, do it on your own time.
IS ELECTION DAY A FEDERAL HOLIDAY?
It's not, but the idea has been introduced. Our VERIFY THIS team looked at it. The Election Day Holiday Act of 2021 was introduced in the House and The Freedom To Vote Act was introduced in the Senate, both in 2021. Neither is gaining any traction.
There are 13 states that observe election day as a state holiday, which means state offices are closed in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
There are currently 12 federal holidays, with the most recent addition being Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Of those 12 federal holidays, Election Day is not one of them. Congress has to approve the designation of federal holidays, which are then signed into law by the sitting president, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).