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Revision date of this archived policy: July 11, 2002

Note: This is not a current version of the policy. View current version. »

72.1 Policy
  72.1.1 Any staff employee, who is eligible to vote in national, state, or local elections, is encouraged to exercise voting privileges. Work schedules will normally permit adequate time for a staff employee to exercise the voting privilege, either before or after normal working hours. However, in cases where voting cannot be accomplished in off-duty hours, the University shall grant time off to vote, on election days with consideration of provisions of KRS 118.035(2) as follows.
    "Any person entitled to a vote at any election in this state shall, if he has made application for leave prior to the day of election, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is engaged or employed for a period of four (4) hours on the day of the election, between the time of opening and closing the polls. Such person shall not, because of so absenting himself, be liable to any penalty. The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may absent himself. No person shall refuse an employee the privilege hereby conferred, or discharge or threaten to discharge an employee or subject an employee to a penalty, because of the exercise of the privilege.
NOTE: Although the University shall grant time off to vote, if necessary on election days, a staff employee is encouraged, where possible and practical, to vote before or after the scheduled work period or by absentees ballot if residing in a distant community.
  72.1.2 Any regular full-time or half-time staff employee requesting time off to vote will receive time off with pay.
  72.1.3 Presidential election day is a University holiday (See Human Resources Policy and Procedure Number 83.0: Holiday Leave).
  72.1.4 Any regular full-time or half-time staff employee who accepts a position as an election official must use accrued vacation leave while serving in that capacity.
72.2 Delegation
  The department head is responsible for receiving requests for time off to vote and scheduling the appropriate time off.
72.3 Procedures
  72.3.1 A staff employee desiring time off to vote normally shall submit a request to the department head at least five (5) working days (Saturdays and Sundays excluded) in advance of the election.
  72.3.2 The department head, upon receipt of a request for time off to vote, normally shall schedule such time off and advise the staff employee of the revised work schedule at least three (3) days in advance of the election.
  72.3.3 A regular full-time or half-time staff employee desiring time off to vote who does not submit a request at least five (5) working days (Saturdays and Sundays excluded) in advance will normally receive time off without pay.