CPM 2004-20 - October 27, 2004
MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
FROM:
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KAY COLES JAMES
Director
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SUBJECT:
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Excused Absence for Voting
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As the Office of Personnel Management has done traditionally, this memorandum
is to provide agencies with information on the Federal Government's longstanding
policy of granting employees limited time off from work (i.e., excused absence)
to vote in Federal, State, county, or municipal elections or in referendums
on any civic matter in their community. Agencies have discretionary authority
to grant excused absence to the extent that such time off does not interfere
with agency operations. Typically, polling places throughout the United States
are open for extended periods of time. Therefore, excused absence should rarely
be needed. Agencies should consider the following guidelines when granting excused
absence for voting in the Presidential election on November 2, 2004:
Granting Excused Absence for Voting
Generally, where the polls are not open at least 3 hours either before or after
an employee's regular work hours, an agency may grant a limited amount of excused
absence that will permit the employee to report for work 3 hours after the polls
open or leave from work 3 hours before the polls close, whichever requires the
lesser amount of time off. An employee's "regular work hours" should
be determined by reference to the time of day the employee normally arrives
at and departs from work.
For example, if an employee is scheduled to work from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
and the employee's polling place is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the employee
should not be granted excused absence for voting, since the employee would still
have at least 3 hours after the end of his or her work schedule to vote. However,
if an employee is scheduled to work from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the employee's
polling place is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the employee may be granted
½ hour of excused absence from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., if requested.
Extended Commuting Distance
If an employee's voting place is beyond normal commuting distance and vote
by absentee ballot is not permitted, the employing agency may grant excused
absence (not to exceed 1 day) to allow the employee to make the trip to the
voting place to cast a ballot. If more than 1 day is needed, the employee may
request annual leave or leave without pay for the additional period of absence.
For More Information
Agency Chief Human Capital Officers and/or Human Resources (HR) Directors may
contact their assigned OPM Human Capital Officers. For additional information
on Federal pay and leave programs and policies, including work scheduling policies,
please visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/index.asp.
Employees should contact their agency human resources offices for assistance.
cc: Chief Human Capital Officers
Human Resources Directors