There are only a few days left until Election Day on Nov. 5, 2024. And beyond the presidential race, voters in California have a long list of important issues to vote on.
There are a few different ways to return your mail-in ballot at this stage, and early in-person voting is now also available across the Bay Area. And, of course, you can go to a vote site on Election Day itself and vote in person.
But what if you’ll be working on Nov. 5? Can you request time off from work to go vote?
The quick answer is: Yes, in California, voters can take as much time off from work on Election Day as they need to go and vote at a polling booth. But only two hours of that time will be paid, and if you work Monday-Friday you’ll need to request this time as soon as possible, and by Friday Nov. 1 at the very latest .
While employers are required by state law to respect the time workers need to go vote, there are a few things to keep in mind. Keep reading for what you need to know about requesting time off from your employer to vote on Nov. 5.
What to know about rights as a worker and a voter on Election Day
You need to give advance notice ASAP
If you’re scheduled to work on Nov. 5 and are planning to vote in person, let your boss know as soon as possible that you will need to take some time off that day. This is important because state law allows employers to require advance notice for any voting-related scheduling requests.
How far in advance of Election Day do you need to ask your boss for time to go vote? According to the California Elections Code, you must notify your employer at least two working days prior to the election. So, if you work Monday through Friday and Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, you should talk to your boss by Friday, Nov. 1, about taking time off to vote.
Consider how much time off to request and when you’ll vote
When you have this conversation with your boss, let them know how much time you think you need to go to the polling station, fill out your ballot and come back to work.
You can have more than two hours off, but only two of those must be paid, said Brittany Stonesifer, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California.
“If you’re supposed to work an eight-hour shift, and you spend two of those hours voting on Election Day and six of them working, your pay stubs should reflect eight hours of paid work [for that day],” she said.
Also, figure out with your boss ahead of time when during the day is best to go vote. State law specifies that the hours you take off should be at the beginning or end of your regular work shift, whichever option gives you more time to vote and takes less time from your shift. You can ask for time in the middle of the day, but your employer is not required to give you that specific block of time.
Polls are open statewide on Nov. 5 for Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you can find your polling place using California’s Find Your Polling Place tool. Keep in mind that Bay Area counties have different rules about where you can cast your ballot. Voters registered in Contra Costa, San Francisco and Solano counties are assigned to a specific location for in-person voting. Voters in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties can cast their ballots at any voting center in the county.
Your travel time can be included in your time off to vote — it just might not be paid
What if where you work is quite far from where you need to vote, and you may need more than two hours to go vote and come back?
“After two hours, your employer is not required to pay you for that time,” Stonesifer said. A worker can still take the time they need to finish voting, she adds, “but they just won’t be paid after the two hours.”
If the two-hour mark is approaching and you’re still in line waiting to vote, another option is to return to the polling place once your shift is done if it ends before 8 p.m. Remember that polling stations in California are open till 8 p.m. and if you’re still in line when the clock strikes 8 p.m., Stonesifer recommends that voters “should stay in line, because they have the right to vote if they’re in line when polls close, however long that line is.”
Remember that voting by mail is still an option
If you’re reading this ahead of Nov. 5, and you already know that your schedule will be packed with work and personal stuff, another option is to fill out the ballot you automatically received in the mail during your free time before Election Day and return it — to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to vote.
Mail-in ballots can be submitted into a official drop box or at a voting location before polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 — both of which are recommended at this stage over mailing your ballot via USPS, to make sure it reaches your county elections office in time.
If you do still choose to mail your ballot, the return postage is already paid but USPS must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count, so avoid using a USPS collection box that’s already had its last collection for the day on Nov. 5. Many boxes have their last collection at 5 p.m., or earlier.
We have more tips on how to submit your ballot in the FAQ section of KQED’s Voter Guide.
