If you haven’t cast a ballot during Early Voting, you can still vote on Tuesday, but what if you are working? NBC 5 Responds reporter Diana Zoga explains Texas has rules about employers giving people time away from work to vote.
Early Voting — What to Know
- Election Day Voter Guide: Find key dates, how to check your voter status, how to find out where and when you can vote early and on Election Day, and what you'll need to bring with you to the polls.
- When is Election Day? Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day. On that day, polls will be open in Texas from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. You'll be allowed to vote if you're in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
- Where can I vote early? Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Nov. 1. Click here for early voting hours and locations for Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.
- How many people have voted early? A record number of people voted early on Monday, the first day of early voting. Click here to see daily early voting totals from Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and to compare them to previous years.
- Who is on the ballot? Click the links to filter races by category or county: Federal races | State races | Collin County | Dallas County | Denton County | Tarrant County
- How can I vote by mail? The deadline is coming up. Everything you need to know is here.
Early voting ends Friday for Texans. If you didn't make it out to vote during early voting, you’ll have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cast a ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Texas has rules about employers giving people time away from work to vote on Election Day. Read on for how they may apply to you.
PAID TIME OFF TO VOTE
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In Texas, employees are entitled to paid time off to vote on Election Day. The Texas Workforce Commission recommends employers provide two hours of paid leave if an employee does not have two hours off, together, outside their shift.
If, for example, your workday ends at 5 p.m. you would have two hours available before polls closed at 7 p.m. Note: a voter who was in line at the polling place by 7 p.m. is entitled to vote even if the ballot is cast after closing time.
In another example, Jennifer Trulock, a labor and employment attorney at Bradley, explains if you’re scheduled to work 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., employees should be allowed paid leave to make it to the polls.
“If your workday started at 8:30 and it goes until 5:30 or 6, then you have a situation where your two hours to vote would infringe on your workday and you might get some paid time off there. That's a situation where you want to talk to your employer,” Trulock said.
According to the Election Code, the penalty for a person who won’t let an employee take the legally protected time faces a criminal misdemeanor.
WAGE CLAIM FOR UNPAID TIME
The Texas Workforce Commission said employees who believe they are owed pay for time they took off to vote would have the right to file a wage claim with the TWC under the Texas Payday Law. Generally, under the Texas Payday Law, employees would need to file a wage claim with the TWC within 180 days of the original pay date. You can find more information about this type of claim with the TWC here.
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