Effective July 1, 2022, Connecticut law is amended (CT S.B. 361) to require employers to grant employees, two hours unpaid time off from their regularly scheduled work on the day of any special election for a probate judge (in addition to a US senator, representative in Congress, state senator or state representative) for the purpose of voting at such election as specified in Section 9-174, if the employee requests such time off not less than two working days prior to the election.
The unpaid time off applies only for time off taken during the employee’s regularly scheduled work hours on election day and only if taken when the polls are open (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
Next Steps for Employers
Employers should review and update their voting leave policies to ensure that time off for special elections is included. Employers should also ensure that they are permitting employees to take time off to participate in special elections in accordance with the amended law. Managers/supervisors should also be informed of the additional reasons for which time off may be requested to ensure that they are not inadvertently denying leave as required by state law.
