CLEVELAND — City employees in Cleveland will now be getting four paid hours off on General Election Day in an effort to make it easier to vote.

What You Need To Know

  • City employees in Cleveland will now be getting four paid hours off on General Election Day in an effort to make it easier to vote

  • Council and the mayor’s office came together to pass legislation creating an annual half-day paid holiday on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

  • Non-union employees can use the time off for the upcoming election, but those under collective bargaining agreements will have to wait until it’s negotiated in their next contract, which city leaders hope is by the next election
  • Council members said the time off is not meant to force or coerce employees into voting, or to vote for in a particular way

Council and the mayor’s office came together to pass legislation creating an annual half-day paid holiday on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 

Non-union employees can use the time off for the upcoming election, but those under collective bargaining agreements will have to wait until it’s negotiated in their next contract, which city leaders hope is by the next election. 

In a committee meeting Monday, Council member Jenny Spencer (Ward 15) said the legislation is meant to create less barriers for voting.

“We want to lift up our employees and make sure that they have every access they can to the ballot box,” Spencer said. “And just also to continue to get out that message of how important the act of voting is for each of us as citizens.”

Council members said the time off is not meant to force or coerce employees into voting, or to vote for in a particular way.