Voting in the Midterm Matters
Run to vote in the midterm elections. Walk barefoot on broken glass. Take annual leave if you must. Your financial future depends on it. Your life may even depend on it.
The 2026 midterm general election is November 3, 2026. Federal employees preparing to vote should check their voter registration, confirm applicable deadlines, find their polling locations (many states are closing polling stations), and review their agency’s current voting leave policy. (Federal Election Commission, 2026 General Election Calendar; Vote.gov, Register to Vote; Office of Personnel Management, Administrative Leave.)
Do not assume that voting leave works as it did in 2024. In an effort to make it more difficult for federal employees to vote following the catastrophic year the federal workforce experienced in 2025, OPM rescinded its 2024 Biden Era voting guidance and now applies a more limited, discretionary framework. (OPM, Administrative Leave, “Governmentwide Policies—Voting”; Executive Order 14148, January 20, 2025.)
Check Your Voter Registration Before the Deadline
Start at Vote.gov and select your state or territory to reach official registration information. VERIFY that the registration information is from a valid source. Registration deadlines vary by jurisdiction.
Review your record now:
• Confirm your legal name and residential address.
• Check whether your registration is active.
• Update your registration after a move or name change.
• Contact your state or local election office if your record is missing or incorrect.
Do not treat a registration problem as something to resolve on Election Day. Check early enough to contact election officials and complete any required update before your jurisdiction’s deadline.
Can Federal Employees Be Excused to Vote?
Yes, qualifying employees may receive approved administrative leave to vote. However, approval is discretionary and more limited than in the past. Each agency will publish its own guidance in advance of the elections. Administrative leave excuses covered employees from duty without charging annual leave or reducing pay; it is not an automatic entitlement. (5 U.S.C. § 6329a; 5 C.F.R. § 630.1403(a)(2), (4); OPM, Administrative Leave, “Description”.)
Technically, under current guidance, an agency may approve voting leave when the employee’s work schedule otherwise leaves no reasonable opportunity to vote. The absence must not interfere with agency operations (this is subjective amd abstract), should cover only the time required, and generally should not exceed three hours. Employees should not abuse this option if made available. Go vote and immediately return to duty or otherwise use approved leave. The decision maker in such a request should be the local first level leave approving official who will likely consult with Employee and Labor Relations Specialists and his or her own supervisor.
How to Request Release From the Worksite
1. Obtain your agency’s current voting leave instructions.
2. Identify your scheduled duty hours and official polling hours.
3. Explain the scheduling conflict and the time you need. This is a legitimate obligation.
4. Submit the request in advance through the designated approval process.
5. Obtain approval before departing and confirm the correct timekeeping entry. DO NOT LEAVE THE WORKSITE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
Ask your servicing HR office to resolve questions about your agency’s policy. Agency approval remains necessary.
What If Voting Leave Is Not Approved?
Consider requesting annual leave for the necessary period. Annual leave may be used for personal business, but supervisors retain authority to schedule and approve its use.
Does the Hatch Act Prevent Federal Employees From Voting?
No. Federal employees may register and vote as they choose, including employees subject to further restrictions on partisan political activity. (5 U.S.C. § 7323(c); U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Federal Employee Hatch Act Information.)
Voting rights and workplace campaigning are separate issues. The Hatch Act generally prohibits partisan political activity while on duty or in a federal workplace and prohibits using official authority to influence an election. For example, if you are interviewed by the media at a polling station concerning your vote, never say. "I supported XXXXX because I work for FEMA"; never even mention your employment.
Is Election Day a Federal Holiday?
No. Election Day is not among the annually recurring federal holidays listed in federal law. (5 U.S.C. § 6103(a); OPM, Federal Holidays.).
Can I Receive Administrative Leave to Serve as a Poll Worker?
No. OPM’s current policy prohibits administrative leave for poll-worker or poll-observer service, including nonpartisan service. In our opinion, that is a good policy frankly. Agencies may approve other available options, such as annual leave or qualifying schedule adjustments. (OPM, Administrative Leave Policy Template, § E.1.d, printed p. 12.)
Where Should I Check My Registration?
Use Vote.gov to find your state’s official registration resources and verify your record before the applicable deadline.
Which Candidates Should Federal Employees Support? Voting in the midterm matters more than ever before.
The decision of who to vote for is a personal matter. However, from our perspective, no Republican candidate should receive the vote of any federal employee based on the treatment of federal employees in 2025, the ongoing and current treatment, and expected future treatment concerning working conditions, pay, and benefits. There are numerous other compelling reasons to not support any Republican candidate, but our primary analytical perspective is based on the federal workforce environment and the threat to federal employees. A vote for any Republican at any level of government is a direct and non-abstract threat against your own interests as a federal employee in a much more tangible way than ever before.
