Connecticut: Voting Leave Requirements

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).