Though federal law protects citizens’ right to vote, there is no federal law that mandates employers to give employees a specific amount of time off to do so.
Many states have filled this void in the law with specific provisions and sanctions, which are covered below. Some states require employees to give reasonable notice of absence to the employer. Also, many state laws require employees to use their available time outside of work hours to cast their votes if there is sufficient time before or after work to get to local polls.
This map below covers state-specific laws. While some states—Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Virginia—do not currently have a voting leave law in place, they do have voting-related provisions that pertain to employers.