Election Day and Employees' Right to Vote, by Barbara Halpin

Posted by Attorney Roger L. Pettit / Comments

Did you know that employers in Wisconsin are required to give their employees time off to vote?

Wis. Stat. Ann. § 6.76 states that “any person entitled to vote at an election is entitled to be absent from work while the polls are open for a period not to exceed 3 successive hours to vote.”

The statute, however, does require that the employee notify the employer before election day of their intended absence and the employer may choose the time of day for the absence.  The only “penalty” permitted is a deduction in pay for the time lost.  The statute applies to all state employees as well.