As in previous years, this issuance serves to remind and encourage all District government employees to exercise their right to vote during the upcoming primary and general elections. In addition, this issuance explains the policy on excused absences for that purpose.

Each agency head shall take the necessary steps to ensure that employees within the agency are informed of the policy on voting, as specified in this issuance.

Employees must coordinate with their respective supervisors regarding any anticipated use of administrative leave for voting on these dates:

• Virginia primary elections scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2020;
• Maryland primary election scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2020;
• District of Columbia primary election scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2020; and,
• District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia general elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Employees must coordinate with their respective supervisors regarding any anticipated use of administrative leave for voting on these dates. An excused absence is an absence from duty administratively authorized and approved without loss of pay, and without charge to leave.

Agencies must give administrative leave to employees for voting in any election or referendum on a civic matter in their community whenever the polls are not open at least 3 hours either before or after an employee’s regular hours of work. The administrative leave granted must allow the employee to report for work 3 hours after the polls open or leave work 3 hours before the polls close, whichever requires the lesser amount of absence from work. In other words, if the employee’s work hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm, and the polling place opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 8:00 p.m., the employee will receive one hour of leave to vote between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. or between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. If, however, the employee’s work hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the employee would receive no administrative leave because there are 3 hours available for them to vote between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The following table provides a calendar of polling hours for the 2020 primaries and general elections in the District of Columbia and in neighboring jurisdictions:

For detailed information on the upcoming elections, District government employees may visit the following websites:

• District of Columbia: https://www.dcboe.org/
• Maryland: http://www.elections.state.md.us/ 
• Virginia: https://www.elections.virginia.gov

1. Subsections 1266.14 and 1266.15 of Chapter 12, Hours or Work, Legal Holidays and Leave, of Subtitle B of Title 6 of the D.C. Municipal Regulations.

For additional information concerning this instruction, please contact the DCHR’s Policy and Compliance Administration, by calling (202) 442-9700 or by sending an e-mail to dchr.policy@dc.gov.