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21 States That Guarantee You Paid Time Off to Hit the Polls on Election Day

Carson Kohler

by Carson Kohler

Staff Writer

This should be a Snapple fact: Some states (21 states, to be precise) guarantee registered voters paid time off to hit the polls.

That’s pretty awesome.

And thanks to VotePlz.org, you can find out if you fall into this category in about 0.3 seconds.

How To Know If You Get Paid Time Off To Vote

VotePlz.org is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide you with the information you need to get out there and vote. Basically, you have no more excuses. Register here.

The site has a nifty tool that tells you if your state guarantees paid time off for voting. All you have to do is type in your email address and zip code.

I typed in my information and got this response: “Florida is one of 22 states that does not guarantee time off to vote — the other 29 all do!”

Gee, thanks, Florida.

However, the site still let me know polling stations are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And if I can’t make those hours? It links me to where I can sign up to vote early or request an absentee ballot.

Pretty neat, right?

Will You Get Paid to Take Time Off and Vote?

You can find all the information you need at VotePlz.org, but here’s the rundown:

  • States that guarantee paid time off to vote: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming
  • States that allow voters unpaid time off to vote: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Wisconsin
  • States that don’t guarantee employees can take time off to vote: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont
  • States that have bailed on the old system and adopted a vote-by-mail process: Colorado, Oregon and Washington

Does your state stink as much as mine? (Just kidding, Florida!) Or are you lucky enough to get paid to hit the polls?

Either way, we better see you there!

Your Turn: How will you hit the polls this election season?

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. After recently completing graduate school, she focuses on saving money — and surviving the move back in with her parents.