New York Amends Time off to Vote

On April 1, 2019, New York State passed the 2019‒2020 budget which amended Election Law §3-110, which provides employees with time off to vote.

In accordance with the recent amendment, in New York State all employers must provide employees who are registered voters with up to 3 three hours’ time off without loss of pay at the starting or at the end of work hours in order to vote in any election.

Any employee who is a registered voter requiring time off to vote must notify his or her employer at least 2 working days before the election.

This amendment increased the maximum time-off allotment from two hours to three hours, and it eliminated the portion of the law that limited time off to employees who did not have sufficient time to vote outside of working hours. Employers may want to update their employee handbooks, voting leave policies, and election notices in light of this development.