It depends on whether your state provides protected voting leave. Over half require some kind of time off for voting, and a good number of those states require the time to be paid.

The details vary from state to state, but two hours is the most common allowance, and often the employer can require employees who want to take it to do so at the beginning or end of their workday. The amount of time employees are allowed often depends on how much time they have before or after their shift while the polls are open.

You can check whether your state requires voting leave and whether it needs to be paid using this chart. For more detailed information, see our laws pages.

Even if your state doesn’t have a voting leave law, consider providing employees with time off to vote in support of the democratic process.

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.