Rep. Williams Introduces Time Off to Vote Act to Require 2 Hours of Paid Leave for Federal Elections
The Time Off to Vote Act is currently sitting in the House Committee on Education and Workforce. No action has been taken on this bill since August 2025, which means it has been stalled for 11 months. The committee must review the bill before it can move forward, but it is not showing any signs of progress.
This bill is supported only by Democrats and faces a difficult path in a divided Congress where voting rules are a major point of disagreement between parties.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 5322 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 5322 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small businesses with 25 or more employees would be required to provide two hours of paid leave per worker for federal elections, creating a new labor cost. For businesses operating on tight margins, covering shifts during voting leave could pose scheduling challenges, though the employer retains control over when leave is taken. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees are exempt.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Senator Mazie Hirono and 17 colleagues introduced the Time Off to Vote Act, requiring employers to provide at least two hours of paid leave for federal elections. The time can be used for in-person voting, returning mail ballots, or other voting activities without affecting employee benefits.
The Time Off to Vote Act would require employers to give employees at least two hours off to vote on election day or during early voting. The bill aims to standardize paid voting leave across the country, ensuring workers don't have to choose between a paycheck and participating in democracy.
Democratic lawmakers introduced H.R. 7489, the Time Off to Vote Act, to mandate two hours of paid leave for federal elections. The legislation seeks to create a federal standard to replace the current patchwork of state laws, many of which only require unpaid time off or offer no protections.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Time Off to Vote Act
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