Voting Leave Requirements in Connecticut

At a glance

Connecticut's voting-leave law has expired

Connecticut does not currently require employers to give employees time off to vote. The state briefly had such a rule, but it was temporary by design. Section 31-57y of the General Statutes granted two hours of unpaid time off to vote, but only "From June 23, 2021, to June 30, 2024." That window has closed, and the General Assembly did not renew or replace the provision.

The lapse was not an accident. During the same period, Connecticut adopted in-person early voting, which gives voters days of advance opportunity to cast a ballot outside a single election-day work shift. With early voting available, the legislature let the election-day time-off requirement expire.

The official code still lists § 31-57y, but its text carries the June 30, 2024 end date on its face. Because that date has passed, the two-hour entitlement no longer operates. The chip table therefore reads "N/A" or "none currently" across the leave columns.

What the expired law had required

For readers who remember the rule or acted on it, this is what § 31-57y provided while it was in force from 2021 to 2024:

• Two hours of unpaid time off on the day of a covered election.
• Coverage for each employee in a state election, and for each registered elector in specified federal or state special elections (later extended to elections for judge of probate).
• A condition that the employee request the time off at least two working days before the election.

There was no paid-time requirement, no outside-work-hours test, and no employer posting duty. None of this is current law; it is included only to explain what lapsed.

What this means for you now

Without a statutory mandate, an employer in Connecticut is not required to give time off specifically to vote and may ask employees to vote outside working hours. In practice, Connecticut voters now have several ways to vote around a work schedule: in-person early voting on the days before the election, voting during the polls' open hours on election day, and, where eligible, absentee voting. Whether an employer grants election-day time off, and whether it is paid, is a matter of company policy or a contract, not a state requirement.

Common questions

Does my Connecticut employer have to give me time off to vote?

Not currently. The temporary two-hour unpaid law expired June 30, 2024, and no statute has replaced it.

Wasn't there a Connecticut voting-leave law?

Yes. From June 23, 2021, to June 30, 2024, § 31-57y required two hours of unpaid time off on election day, on two working days' notice. It expired by its own terms.

How do I vote around my job now?

Connecticut offers in-person early voting on days before the election, along with election-day poll hours and absentee voting where eligible. You can also ask your employer for time, but the employer is not legally required to provide it.

Could the requirement come back?

It could if the legislature enacts a new law. As of this update, no 2025-2026 Connecticut bill has restored a voting-leave mandate.

Statutes and sources

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57y (enacted by June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, § 94; amended by P.A. 22-129): granted two hours of unpaid election-day voting leave, by its own terms only "From June 23, 2021, to June 30, 2024" — now expired — official code text (accessed July 13, 2026).