With Election Day on Nov. 3 fast-approaching, Americans across the country are preparing their voting plans. The coronavirus pandemic has made such plans all the more important and many states are reporting record-breaking numbers of early voters and mail-in voters.
White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said he plans to vote in person, telling Yahoo! News that the process is safe so long as voters and polling places follow proper guidelines such as mask-wearing and social distancing.
Another consideration workers have to weigh is when to vote. The Centers for Disease Control suggests people plan to go vote during off-peak hours, like in the mid-morning, or during the early voting period.
Many workers must also navigate getting time away from work to vote. According to Ballotpedia, during the 2020 election cycle, 28 states require employers give employees time off to vote.
Ballotpedia
Source: Ballotpedia
The states in purple require that employers give their employees time off to vote, but specific legislation varies from state to state.
For instance, some states guarantee paid time off to vote, while others only guarantee unpaid time off. Some states have specific time periods that workers are guaranteed, other states do not. Additionally, many employers offer time off to vote, even if they are not required to.
This variation is one reason Democrats have proposed making Election Day a national holiday and more than two-thirds of Americans polled by Pew Research have said they’d support such a measure.
Voters can use resources like Ballotpedia or reference their local board of elections to find out what the laws are in their area and should also learn what their organization’s policy is for voting.
Perfect your voting plan by learning what the law is in your state so that you can feel confident come Election Day.
As Dr. Fauci says, “I’m going to vote, for sure.”
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