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I'm scheduled to work on Election Day. Do I have a right to take time off from work to vote?

 

Not necessarily. Depending on where you live, the answer may be "yes, definitely," "no, not really," or "it depends." This is an area of the law dealt with on a state-by-state basis, even during the national presidential elections held every four years. So your right to vote during work time depends on what your state law says.

I'm scheduled to work on Election Day. Do I have a right to take time off from work to vote?

Not necessarily. Depending on where you live, the answer may be "yes, definitely," "no, not really," or "it depends." This is an area of the law dealt with on a state-by-state basis, even during the national presidential elections held every four years. So your right to vote during work time depends on what your state law says.

In the United States, I think the best answer here is it depends. As @DA mentioned in the comments, there is no federal law regarding this particular aspect of voting rights. The states (some of them anyway) have stepped up, and I found a pretty useful link here that summarizes the current patchwork of laws. _{(It looks like DA found that same link. Great minds I guess.)}

In the United States, I think the best answer here is it depends. As @DA mentioned in the comments, there is no federal law regarding this particular aspect of voting rights. The states (some of them anyway) have stepped up, and I found a pretty useful link here that summarizes the current patchwork of laws.

Practically, could an employer prevent an employee from voting?

As was noted in the comments, I believe the answer here is yes it is possible. I think from the vast diversity of employers out there and, judging from the fact that many employers urge (coerce?) their employees to vote a certain way certainly implies that the will to affect outcomes of elections is there for employers. However, the possible downsides of doing this to an employee (which include a devout pummeling in the court of public opinion) would no doubt deter all but the most ardent employers from actively preventing employees from voting which, as noted by others, would be minimally effective at best.

That being said and this being the US, we know it has already happened. I stumbled across this series of letters which describe a sawmill owner's efforts to disenfranchize both black and white employees of his from voting for the "radical ticket" in South Carolina, 1868.