Voting Leave Requirements in Michigan

Short answer Michigan has no general private-employer statute requiring time off or pay for an employee to vote. Michigan election law instead prohibits an individual from directly or indirectly discharging or threatening to discharge that individual's employee to influence the employee's vote at an election. A violation is a misdemeanor, but the statute creates no leave duration, outside-work-hours test, scheduling rule, employee notice deadline, or employer posting duty.

State

Michigan

Statute checked

July 13, 2026

Sources

1 statute

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At a glance

Governing law	Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.931(1)(d); no general private-employer voting-leave statute located
Eligible workers and elections	No statutory leave eligibility; coercion rule protects an employee's vote at an election (§ 168.931(1)(d))
Outside-work-hours test	None; Michigan states no general private-employer voting-leave entitlement
Time-off amount	None required by the located statute
Paid or unpaid	No mandatory voting-leave pay under the located statute
When leave is taken	No statutory voting-leave window or scheduling rule
Employee notice and employer posting	No voting-leave employee notice or employer posting duty stated
Protection and penalties	No direct or indirect discharge or threatened discharge to influence employee's vote; violation is a misdemeanor (§ 168.931(1), (1)(d))

Michigan regulates coercion, not time away from work

The current Michigan Election Law does not require an ordinary private employer to release an employee from scheduled work, continue pay, or provide a voting window. An employee who needs working time to vote must use an employer policy or another applicable agreement rather than a general state voting-leave right.

Section 168.931 addresses a different workplace problem. An individual may not directly or indirectly discharge or threaten to discharge that individual's employee for the purpose of influencing how the employee votes at an election. Violating that rule is a misdemeanor.

What trips people up

The discharge provision is an anti-coercion rule, not an authorization to leave work. It states no amount of voting time, pay protection, outside-work-hours condition, notice deadline, posting duty, or allocation of scheduling control.

Its stated purpose element also matters. Section 168.931(1)(d) targets discharge or a discharge threat used “for the purpose of influencing” the employee's vote; it is not written as a general voting-absence retaliation provision.

Common questions

Does Michigan require two paid hours to vote?

No. The current election code states no fixed private-sector voting-leave amount or voting-leave pay requirement.

May an employer threaten discharge to influence an employee's vote?

No. That direct or indirect threat is prohibited by § 168.931(1)(d), and a violation is a misdemeanor.

Must an employee give advance voting-leave notice?

Michigan's located statute creates no voting-leave request or notice procedure. An employer policy or agreement may still establish an internal process.

Statutes and sources

Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.931(1), (1)(d): misdemeanor classification and the prohibition on discharge or threatened discharge used to influence an employee's vote — official text (accessed July 13, 2026).

Source links

Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.

Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.931(1), (1)(d) · accessed 2026-07-13

This page is general legal information about state-law workplace rights for an employee who needs time away from scheduled work to cast a ballot, not legal advice about voter eligibility, polling hours, an employment dispute, or a particular election. The election type, voting day, poll schedule, employee notice, work shift, employer coverage, and available nonworking time can change the result. Separate rules govern voter registration, mail voting, election officials, poll workers, campaigns, public employees, and local ordinances. Verified against the official statute text on the date shown; confirm current law or consult the election authority, labor agency, or a licensed attorney before relying on it.

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