Cartwright
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, and colleagues introduced the Time Off to Vote Act on Monday, which would require employers to provide their workers with at least two hours of paid leave to vote in a federal election.
Many workers choose not to go to the polls because they “simply cannot afford to take time off from work,” the release said. In 2020, only 23 states and Washington, D.C. guaranteed workers some form of paid time off to vote.
“Voting should not be a luxury that only the well-off can afford,” Cartwright said. “This bill, which ensures that American workers can cast their ballots without risking their paychecks, is an important addition to the critical voting rights legislation passed by the House earlier this year.”
The legislation also was introduced by U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois), Nikema Williams (D-Georgia) and Andy Levin (D-Michigan), the release said.
It received support from the American Federation of Government Employees, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Brennan Center for Justice, Care in Action, Common Cause, End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, League of Conservation Voters, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, Vote.org and Voters of Tomorrow.
“All Americans deserve to have their voices heard and votes counted. Especially as some states pass discriminatory voter suppression laws, the Time Off to Vote Act is needed more than ever,” Sylvia Albert, Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause, said in the release.
