Councilmember Cheh Wants Guaranteed Paid Leave for District Voters on Election Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                       

November 20, 2018

Communications Director: Kelly Whittier

Councilmember Cheh Wants Guaranteed Paid Leave for District Voters on Election Day

The “Paid Leave to Vote Act” targets employer voter discrimination and ensures that District residents have, at minimum, two hours of paid leave in order to vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, November 20^th, Councilmember Mary M. Cheh and Chairman Phil Mendelson, together with a majority of the Council, introduced the “Paid Leave to Vote Amendment Act of 2018.” The legislation would guarantee at least two hours of paid leave to eligible District voters in order to vote in any District-wide election.

“The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy, yet the District does not have any protections in place for residents who need to take leave in order to vote. Any number of factors, such as one’s commute, childcare or work requirements, or long lines from the morning or evening voter rush, can make it unnecessarily difficult for working residents to cast their ballot. There is more we can do to ensure that all eligible voters are able to engage in this important civic duty, and guaranteeing leave is one way we can remove some of the practical barriers to higher voter participation,” said Councilmember Cheh.

The legislation will also make it unlawful for any employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny any attempt to exercise the right to take such leave, or to discriminate against a voter for taking leave to vote. Currently twenty states, including Maryland, New York, and Texas, have passed laws to guarantee paid leave to voters.

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