Voting Leave Laws by State (2026)

Which states give employees time off to vote, and whether that time is paid. The label shows what each state requires.

Every state

Time off to vote, state by state

The chip shows whether time off to vote is paid, unpaid, or not required. Tap any state for the hours and notice rules.

Federal No law Alabama Unpaid Alaska Paid Arizona Paid Arkansas Unpaid California Paid Colorado Paid Connecticut No law Delaware No law District of Columbia Paid Florida No law Georgia Unpaid Guam Check local Hawaii No law Idaho No law Illinois Paid Indiana No law Iowa Paid Kansas Paid Kentucky Unpaid Louisiana No law Maine No law Maryland Paid Massachusetts Unpaid Michigan No law Minnesota Paid Mississippi No law Missouri Paid Montana No law Nebraska Paid Nevada Paid New Hampshire No law New Jersey No law New Mexico Paid New York Paid North Carolina No law North Dakota No law Northern Mariana Islands Check local Ohio Unpaid Oklahoma Paid Oregon No law Pennsylvania No law Puerto Rico Check local Rhode Island No law South Carolina No law South Dakota Paid Tennessee Paid Texas Paid Utah Paid Vermont No law Virgin Islands Check local Virginia No law Washington No law West Virginia Paid Wisconsin Unpaid Wyoming Paid

The basics

How voting leave works

There is no federal law giving workers time off to vote, so it is entirely a state matter. About 28 states and Washington, D.C. require it. In most of them the time is paid, usually capped at two or three hours, and only kicks in when your work schedule does not already leave you enough time to vote.

Many states let the employer decide whether you take the time at the start or end of your shift, and more than half require you to ask before election day. A handful of no-leave states still protect you from being fired for voting, and a couple, like Oregon and Washington, vote by mail instead. This is general information, not legal advice.

Common questions

Voting leave FAQ

Which states require time off to vote?

As of 2026, 28 states and Washington, D.C. require employers to give time off to vote. 21 states and D.C. require the time to be paid; 7 states allow it to be unpaid. The rest have no requirement.

Does federal law require time off to vote?

No. There is no federal voting-leave law. Whether you get time off, and whether it is paid, is set entirely by the state where you work.

Is voting leave usually paid?

More often than not. Of the 28 states plus D.C. that require it, 21 states and D.C. require paid time. Most laws cap paid time at two or three hours and only apply if your schedule does not already give you time to vote.

David Scott

David Scott compiles and verifies minimum wage rates, tipped wages, and overtime rules from official state and federal labor department sources, and re-checks every page when rates change. See how the data is sourced.