With Election Day fast approaching on November 5th, it’s crucial to know how you’re going to manage employee schedules and time off so they have the opportunity to participate in the election process.
Navigating the world of election season can be daunting for business owners. Determining voting leave, providing resources for employees, and even helping identify the closest poll location and voter registration resources. There’s a lot to think about.
Thankfully, there are ways to simplify the process and help ensure your staff have the tools they need to get to the polls. Read on for more information on how you can create a voting strategy that both empowers your employees to vote and also helps keep your scheduling on track to ensure coverage on Election Day.
Determining voting leave
Most states and districts in the U.S. require that employers provide their employees with time off to vote — and those that don’t may have other protections in place to help employees cast their vote on Election Day.
At the time of writing, twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have voting leave requirements. In most of those cases, the time off is paid or partially paid, but there are a few exceptions.
It’s always best to double-check your local voting leave requirements and whether or not your state does indeed provide voting leave — and, if so, the type of leave, the amount of time off, and whether it is paid or unpaid time off.
To check your state’s voting requirements, the best soure of truth is your state elections website. Simply search “[state name] elections website.”
Or if you’re looking for more consolidated information, Nonprofit Vote have a handy map with a breakdown of state rules. Vote.org is also a great resource for navigating voting leave and additional topics, like how to request an absentee ballot and how to vote by mail.
Voting early
Voting early can be an excellent way to avoid stress and business disruption. By encouraging your team to vote early, you can reduce the amount of staff unable to work on Election Day.
The important thing to remember, however, is that the rules for early voting can vary drastically by state, including when early voting opens, when it closes, and the locations where early votes can be cast.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has a comprehensive list of states that have early voting. Check your state’s voting time frame here.
Confirming registration
You may have employees inquiring about where they can register or confirm their registration to vote. Luckily, there are government and bi-partisan organizations that can confirm this, including:
Polling place locator
Polling places can be tricky to find. Luckily the team at Headcount.org have made it so simple to determine where you can vote in person. Employees simply enter their residential or work locations to get a list of polling places nearby.
Alternatively, anyone can call the 1-800 lines if they prefer guidance on polling locations over the phone.
By finding a polling place close to work, you can make it easier for your team to vote before or after a shift.
Scheduling time off to vote with Deputy
Now that you have some tips for getting your employees to the polls, you need to make sure you schedule time off correctly.
With Deputy, you can easily schedule time off to vote for your team — as well as other leave types. Our scheduling software also make it beautifully simple to ensure you still have enough staff on shift at the right times for your customers.
Get in touch with our team today to learn how Deputy can help with scheduling and leave management.
Or, if you’re already a Deputy customer, you check out our guide on setting up paid voting leave here.