Illinois Congresswoman Bustos, Colleagues Introduce Time Off to Vote Act
This week, U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Andy Levin (MI-09) introduced the Time Off to Vote Act, which would require employers to provide their employees at least two hours of paid leave to vote in a federal election.
“The freedom to vote is sacred, and the foundation of our nation’s democracy,” said Congresswoman Bustos. “I’m proud to join Congressman Cartwright today to introduce the Time Off to Vote Act, critical legislation to ensure that every American worker has the ability to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Especially as states move to restrict access to the ballot box, we must take action to protect our democracy and the voters who make it strong.”
During each election, many wage earners choose not to go to the polls because they simply cannot afford to take time off from work. Despite this, in 2020, only 23 states and D.C. guaranteed workers some form of paid time off to head to the polls.
Cheri Bustos
This legislation has received the support of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC; Brennan Center for Justice; Care in Action; Common Cause; End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund; Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)/GALEO Impact Fund; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; League of Conservation Voters (LCV); Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF); NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; National Association of Social Workers (NASW); National Education Association (NEA); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); UNITE HERE; Vote.org; Voters of Tomorrow.
This legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Andre Carson (D-IN-07), Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-03), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-02), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Andy Levin (D-MI-09), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47), Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At Large), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Katie Porter (D-CA-45), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40), Michael San Nicolas (D-Guam-At Large), John Sarbanes (D-MD-03), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Adam Schiff (D-CA-28), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24).
The full text of the bill can be found here.
