Voting: Alabama

This Voting policy applies to employees in Alabama under Ala. Code 17-1-5, which gives eligible employees the right to request up to one hour of unpaid time off to vote when their work schedule would otherwise prevent them from having enough time while the polls are open. Your organization can use this policy to set a clear, consistent process for requesting voting time off, coordinate coverage with supervisors, and reinforce that you support employees participating in elections.

The History Behind Voting Policies in Alabama

Voting Leave policies in Alabama exist because Election Day isn't a mandated holiday, and sometimes employees need to vote and be at work at the same time. Alabama's narrow, time-based rule in Ala. Code § 17-1-5 is designed to address this. It gives eligible voters up to one hour off to vote when their shift starts within two hours after polls open or ends within one hour before polls close, and it lets employers treat that time as unpaid.

That structure reflects the old bargain lawmakers often struck in voting-time laws. The state protected access to the ballot without turning Election Day into a paid holiday or forcing open-ended schedule changes. It also put the focus on the edges of the day, where long shifts and commute time can squeeze out a trip to the polls.

Employers started writing voting time policies because the statute leaves real-world questions to be answered. Someone has to decide when the hour happens, how far in advance employees should ask, and how to handle roles that cannot go uncovered. A short policy became the practical way to apply answers consistently across managers and locations, especially for organizations that run early and late shifts.

Which Law is the Voting Policy Meant to Comply With?

If you create and distribute a Voting Policy for your Alabama-based employees, it's in an effort to comply with Alabama's Alabama Code Section 17-1-5.

How to Write an Alabama-Specific Voting Policy

• Start with "why" and introduce the concept by encouraging employees to vote and explaining that time off may be needed to do it.
• State that eligible employees may request a limited amount of unpaid time off to vote.
• Explain that voting time off is only available when an employee's work schedule leaves too little time to vote outside working hours.
• Require employees to coordinate the timing of voting time off with their supervisor.

When to Include this Policy in Your Employee Handbook

The law does not require you to publish a policy or issue a specific notice. That said, you still have to comply with the requirements that apply to you as an employer. 

This is a "depends on your workplace" policy. Include it if you offer the benefit, operate in a setting where this comes up, have a state-specific rule that differs from your national approach, or you've had issues in this area before. If you already have a clear all-employee policy that covers the same ground (and it meets Alabama's requirements), you may not need a separate policy here. 

Other Considerations

The law applies to Alabama employers who have at least 1 employee in the US.

Exceptions

None