SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5693

BYSenators Vognild, Newhouse, Halsan, Conner, Wojahn, Bottiger and Johnson

Insuring employees adequate time to vote.

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 25, 1987; March 2, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Halsan, Chairman; Garrett, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, Talmadge.

Senate Staff:Walt Corneille (786-7452); Eugene Green (786-7405)

                  April 17, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Washington State has no statutory provision insuring that employees of the state or private enterprise have time set aside from the work schedule to vote.  Thirty states have enacted laws to insure that working voters have time to vote.  Nineteen states provide a paid holiday for state employees on certain election days.

SUMMARY:

Every employer is required to arrange working hours on any primary, general or special election day so that all employees have at least two hours available for voting while the polls are open.  If a work schedule does not allow employees two free hours for voting, the employer is required to permit the employee to take at least two hours from his or her work schedule to vote.  No deduction from an employee's pay may be made for time off to vote if the employee provides evidence of having voted during that time.

Fiscal Note:      requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Rick Brock, AWPPW; Tawnya Trevino, Washington State Labor Council; Bert Lysen, UFCW 1105; Joe Daniels, Prof. and Tech. Engineers

HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

Language requiring employers to allow employees at least two hours to vote is changed so that employees are entitled to a reasonable amount of time to vote, up to two hours.  An employer is not prohibited from deducting pay for time taken to vote but must add this time to the time for which an employee is paid.  Evidence of having voted during the period of time taken from work for that purpose is not required.

An employee is permitted time off work for voting only if the employee is unable to obtain an absentee ballot during the period of time between when the employee learns of the election day work schedule and the day of the election.