CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are plenty of opportunities to vote-- with early voting open until Saturday, November 2nd.
But if you don't vote early, does your employer have to give you time off to vote in North Carolina and South Carolina? WCNC Charlotte dug into this question to see if it is required.
THE QUESTION:
Does your employer have to give you time off to vote in North Carolina and South Carolina?
THE ANSWER:
No, your employer does not have to give you time off to vote in either state.
OUR SOURCES:
- North and South Carolina law
- Other state laws
WHAT WE FOUND:
Neither North Carolina nor South Carolina have any laws on the books about employers having to give employees time off to vote. That means employers in both states are not legally required to allow their workers to vote on Election Day.
The Carolinas aren't alone; 19 other states also have no laws on the books about employers needing to give time off:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
A handful of states do give you time off to vote, albeit with no pay:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Wisconsin
24 states and the District of Columbia have some sort of provision for employers to give employees time to vote during the workday. However, 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.
Here are the states that have a provision for employees taking time off to vote:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.