Did you know you get paid time off to vote? now you have no excuse

Most Nevadans I know don’t know this, but state law specifically requires employers to allow employees to take time off to go vote. There are specific rules, of course, but everyone can take at least one hour to go vote if they can’t get to the polls before or after work. And the employer doesn’t get to dock their pay. That means you get paid time off to vote if you wouldn’t be able to vote otherwise.

NRS 293.463 provides:

1. Any registered voter may be absent from his or her place of employment at a time to be designated by the employer for a sufficient time to vote, if it is impracticable for the voter to vote before or after his or her hours of employment. A sufficient time to vote shall be determined as follows:

(a) If the distance between the place of such voter’s employment and the polling place where such person votes is 2 miles or less, 1 hour.

(b) If the distance is more than 2 miles but not more than 10 miles, 2 hours.

(c) If the distance is more than 10 miles, 3 hours.

2. Such voter may not, because of such absence, be discharged, disciplined or penalized, nor shall any deduction be made from his or her usual salary or wages by reason of such absence.

3. Application for leave of absence to vote shall be made to the employer or person authorized to grant such leave prior to the day of the election.

4. Any employer or person authorized to grant the leave of absence provided for in subsection 1, who denies any registered voter any right granted under this section, or who otherwise violates the provisions of this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

What this means is that every employee who cannot reasonably vote before or after work, must be let off for at least one hour (depending upon the distance between the place of work and the employee’s polling place) to go vote. The polling places open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. This means that most people can vote before or after work. But if it is “impracticable” (meaning your situation makes it nearly impossible for you to make it happen) for you to go before or after work, your employer risks misdemeanor charges if they don’t let you go.

The Nevada Legislature really believes voting is important. So do we at Nevada Family Law Group. Hopefully you do to.

Feel free to contact us if you want a list of judicial candidates we believe will do the best job. See you at the polls!