October 15, 2026 — With election day fast approaching, many have been looking at early voting to ensure that they can do their job and be heard at the ballot box this year. Early voting runs from October 24 through November 1 in New York, and the State has designated Election Day as a “floating holiday” instead of a paid day off. However, even with much of the State still running on Election Day, there is an option for those who need time to vote.
Under Election §Law 3-110, registered voters who may not have sufficient time outside of their scheduled working hours may use up to two hours to vote without loss of pay on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Members who need this time must notify their employer between 2-10 working days before Election Day. In this case, that means members must notify their employer sometime between October 20 – October 30.
Additionally, “sufficient time” under the law is described as four consecutive hours between either the opening of polls and beginning of a shift, or between the end of a shift and closing of polls. Because New York polls are open from 6am to 9pm on Election Day, this means that members are only eligible for this benefit if they work a shift that starts before 10am and ends after 5pm.
“I am asking each PEF member to please make a plan to vote,” said PEF President Wayne Spence. “We work to make sure you are represented by a union. This is the time to make sure you are represented properly in New York as well. Use your voice at the ballot box.”