Employees in Arizona can take time off to vote Tuesday

PHOENIX — If you’re planning to take time off work to vote Tuesday, you need to do something about it Monday.

Arizona law says employees can get up to three consecutive hours off to give them time to vote.

“(That is) if there isn’t at least three consecutive hours available to vote between the opening of the polls and the beginning of their shifts or the ending of their shifts and the closing of the polls,” said Phoenix attorney John Bilitis.

But Bilitis said you have to give your boss at least one day’s notice, so you had better tell him or her your plans by Monday.

The boss can say no if you already have three hours to vote before or after your shift.

For example, the polls in Arizona open at 6 a.m. That means that if you start work at 9 a.m., you’ve got time to vote before your shift, and your employer is under no obligation to give you time off.

The same is true at the end of the day.

“The polls close at 7,” he said. “If the employee gets off at 4, there’s three consecutive hours there in which to vote.”

But if you work, say, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can get time off to vote because the polls are only open for two consecutive hours either before or after your shift.

If you do take time off, Bilitis said under Arizona law you are not required to come in early or stay later to make up for lost time at work.