Election season has a way of following employees into the workplace. 

Questions about time off to vote, political conversations among coworkers, campaign materials, social media activity, legislative and candidate agendas, and employer-provided voting information can all land on HR’s desk. And while every organization will approach these issues a little differently, HR professionals can help as Election Day gets closer. 

For Georgia employers, here are several areas worth reviewing now. In this, Part 1 of a three-part series, we’re discussing voting leave. Check out the next installments in the coming weeks, respectively detailing political speech considerations and how the election results may influence workplace policy. 

Start with voting leave 

Georgia law requires employers to provide eligible employees, upon reasonable notice, the necessary time away from work to vote, up to two hours. 

That time may be used during advance in-person voting or on Election Day, and employers may specify the hours during which an employee may be absent. Note that the law does not require that private sector employers make voting leave time paid.  

For HR teams, the practical question is less about what happens on Election Day and more about whether employees and managers already understand the process. For instance, Atlanta’s geography makes “two hours to vote” very different for an employee who lives and works in the same area versus someone commuting across counties. Georgia’s voting leave rules are the baseline, but employers can make participation substantially easier by encouraging early voting, flexible arrival/departure times, or avoiding important all-hands meetings late on Election Day.  

Now is a good time to review your voting leave policy, confirm how employees should make requests, and make sure managers are prepared to handle those requests consistently. Consult legal counsel when questions arise. 

Employers can share voting information without taking a political position 

Another role HR can play is simply making reliable election information easier for employees to find. 

Employers do not need to interpret candidate positions or tell employees what matters most. In fact, the cleaner approach is usually to point employees toward authoritative or clearly identified nonpartisan resources. 

Georgia employers may want to share resources such as: 

Georgia My Voter Page
Employees can check their voter registration, find Election Day and advance voting locations, review voting hours, and view a sample ballot. 

Atlanta-area counties’ voter information pages 

• Clayton County Elections & Registration

• Cobb County Elections & Registration

• Coweta County Elections & Voter Registration

• DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections

• Douglas County Voting Information

• Fayette County Voting Information

• Fulton County Registration & Elections

• Gwinnett County Elections

Georgia Secretary of State Elections Division
The Elections Division provides official information on voter registration, absentee voting, candidates, county election offices, voting procedures, and election dates. 

Georgia voter identification information
The Secretary of State provides information about acceptable identification for in-person voting and how eligible voters can obtain a free voter ID card. 

Candidate and ballot information
Employees can view the races that will appear on their own ballot through Georgia’s My Voter Page. Employers may also choose to share links to established nonpartisan voter information organizations rather than developing their own candidate summaries. 

This gives employees access to the information they need without putting the employer in the position of evaluating candidates or issues. 

A few things HR can do now 

Before advance voting begins, HR teams may want to: 

1. Review voting leave policies and procedures. 
2. Make sure managers understand how to handle voting time requests. 
3. Share neutral, reliable voting resources with employees. 

What HR can do is create clarity around expectations and give employees reliable information about how to participate in the election process. That keeps the organization focused on what it does best: supporting a professional workplace while allowing employees to make their own civic choices. 

This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Employment and election laws may vary based on jurisdiction and circumstances. Employers should consult qualified legal counsel regarding specific situations.