CONGRESS WATCH: Leave with pay on Election Day

Employers could be required to provide paid leave on Election Day under a bill introduced by a Hawai‘i Senator.

Sen. Mazie Hirono introduced on Wednesday the “Time Off to Vote Act,” a measure that would require employers to grant employees at least two consecutive hours of paid leave in order to vote during federal elections.

Employers would only be required to grant this leave on the employee’s request, and would be allowed to specify when the leave could be taken. This specified voting period could actually precede Election Day: the employer could specify that the worker take leave during an election’s early voting period.

However, the leave cannot also include the employee’s lunch break or other break period.

The bill specifies that the paid leave be used to vote, return a mailed ballot or perform other voting-related activities.

Any employer that fails to provide election leave on request would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000. The bill also prohibits employers for retaliating against employees for taking advantage of the additional leave.

If passed, the bill will go into effect for the next federal election: Nov. 4.

According to a 2022 report by the United States Census Bureau, roughly 9.9 million registered voters claimed they did not vote in the 2022 midterm elections because they were too busy or had a conflicting schedule.

“Voting is a fundamental right and every eligible voter in this country deserves to be able to participate in our democracy,” Hirono said in a statement. “As we continue working to protect voting rights, this legislation will help to expand voter participation, particularly in underrepresented communities.”

The bill was co-sponsored by 17 other Senate Democrats.

A corresponding bill was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, by Georgia Democrat Nikema Williams, as part of a major bicameral voter’s rights legislative package.

Other bills included in that package include a bill to increase election administration funds around the country, a measure that establishes standards for USPS’ delivery of election mail, the “People Over Long Lines Act,” which requires states to ensure that voters wait no longer than 30 minutes in line, and six others.