Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, but California employers have an earlier deadline: Saturday, October 24, 2026, to post the required voting leave notice. Employers should ensure their managers, supervisors and Human Resources teams understand the eligibility, scheduling, and pay requirements for voting leave.

What must employers post? A “Time Off to Vote” notice explaining employees’ voting leave rights. Download free, multilingual notices here from the California Secretary of State.

When must the notice be posted? No later than Saturday, October 24, 2026 – at least 10 days before the statewide election. (California Elections Code section 14001).

Where should it be posted? The notice must be posted either in the workplace or where it can be seen by employees as they enter or exit their place of work.

How much paid leave is required? Paid time off is available to employees who do not have enough time outside of working hours to vote. Up to two (2) hours must be paid. Additional time needed to vote may be unpaid. Election Day polls are open 7:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Employers should evaluate whether an employee has sufficient time outside of scheduled working hours to vote before determining eligibility for paid voting leave.

How should leave be scheduled? At the beginning or end of the employee’s shift, whichever allows the most time for voting and the least time away from work, unless the employer and employee mutually agree otherwise.

Do employees need to give advance notice? Employees who know or have reason to believe they will need time off to vote must provide their employer with at least two working days’ notice before Election Day.

What about remote employees? Consider posting the notice internally on the company intranet if easily accessible, sending an internal communication, or emailing a copy of the notice to all remote employees.

What should employers do now? With the posting deadline approaching, California employers should confirm that the required notice is displayed, review their voting leave procedures, and remind managers and supervisors of the applicable scheduling and pay requirements. Employers with multiple locations should ensure compliance at each California workplace.

Stokes Wagner will continue to monitor these developments and provide further updates as they occur. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact a Stokes Wagner attorney.

For a printable PDF of this article, Click here.

THIS DOCUMENT PROVIDES A GENERAL SUMMARY AND IS FOR INFORMATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE COMPREHENSIVE, NOR DOES IT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT WITH COUNSEL BEFORE TAKING OR REFRAINING FROM TAKING ANY ACTION.