[EL] Time off to work

[Justin Levitt]

FWIW, the survey mentioned in the WonkBlog piece has a low-n, but it's 
roughly consistent with larger past 
<https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2012/Table10.xls> 
surveys 
<https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2008/Table%2014.xls> 
in citing a conflicting schedule as one of the primary reasons nonvoters 
didn't vote.

There may be three different factors feeding this.  At least as of 2008, 
19 states didn't have laws allowing time off to vote. Among the other 
states, some require employers to allow time off to work, but don't 
provide paid leave, which means that it actually costs hourly employees 
money to take that time.  And I suspect (though I have no data on this) 
that even in the states that require employers to provide paid leave, 
few voters know of the legal requirement.

For those who are interested, I canvassed the status of the existing 
laws on time off to vote in this piece <http://ssrn.com/abstract=1393622>.

-- 
Justin Levitt
Professor of Law
Loyola Law School | Los Angeles
919 Albany St.
Los Angeles, CA  90015
213-736-7417
justin.levitt at lls.edu
ssrn.com/author=698321

On 11/12/2014 2:10 PM, Rick Hasen wrote:
>
>
>     "A ton of people didn't vote because they couldn't get time off
>     from work" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=68295>
>
> Posted onNovember 12, 2014 9:53 am 
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=68295>byRick Hasen 
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> WonkBlog 
> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/12/a-ton-of-people-didnt-vote-because-they-couldnt-get-time-off-from-work/>.
>
> Posted inelection administration 
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,voting 
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>
>

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