California Voting Leave Lawyers

Voters in California have the right to cast a ballot, and state law makes sure a job is never the reason someone is shut out of participating in an election. California employees who do not have enough time outside of working hours to vote are entitled to paid time off to do so. When an employer ignores that right, our attorneys help workers recover for that infringement on their rights.

Your Voting Leave Rights in California

California voting leave law gives employees protections around statewide elections. The key rights and regulations include:

• Paid time off to vote – You can take up to two hours of paid time off when you do not have sufficient voting time outside of working hours to reach the polls.
• Advance notice and scheduling – Your employer may decide whether you can take that leave time at the start or end of your shift, but you must give two working days’ notice of your need to use time off to vote before election day, if you will need it.
• Posting notice – California employers must post the official “time off to vote” notice at least ten days before a statewide election, where employees can see it as they enter or leave work.
• Protection from retaliation – An employer cannot fire, demote, or otherwise punish an employee for taking time off to vote or to drop off a mail ballot.
• Flexible scheduling – Employers are encouraged to let California employees start later or leave early so they can reach a polling place or county election office on election day.
• Employer obligations – Employers must make sure workers know their voting rights and provide the required time off when a voter requests it.
• Additional local regulations – Some county and city jurisdictions have their own voting leave laws, so a local leave ordinance may give voters extra protections where you work.

Staying current on your voter registration and knowing how to register to vote before election day helps you plan how you will vote, in person or by mail ballot.

How Employers Deny Voting Leave

Denial does not always look obvious. A manager who refuses a request for time off to vote or pressures voters to make up the hours is still denying protected voting time. No company policy can override the state voting leave requirements, but because many voters never learn what California voting leave rules allow, these tactics go unchallenged across the elections held throughout the year.

Talk to a California Voting Leave Lawyer

If your employer discouraged, denied, or punished you for taking time off around an election, you may have a claim. Retaliation against a voter for exercising leave rights on election day is unlawful, and California employers who ignore these obligations can be held accountable. Whether you need to register, drop off a mail ballot, or simply reach the polls before an election closes, your right to vote should never depend on a manager’s goodwill. Our California voting leave lawyers help California voters and every employee understand their options and hold employers who deny voting leave responsible.