Judge Rules that State Workers Can Take Leave to Vote in Municipal Elections

In a victory for working people in New Mexico, a district court judge issued a permanent injunction to provide state employees two hours of paid time off to vote in municipal elections. 

Previously in 2014, the state government's voting leave policy was changed so that workers were only allowed paid time off to vote in state and federal elections – not municipal.

Thanks to the injunction, state employees will now have paid time off to vote in municipal elections, including earlier this week in Tuesday's Albuquerque runoff election.

CWA member Daniel Secrist, an employee at the Museum of Natural History and Science, filed the lawsuit with the assistance of CWA, along with AFSCME.

"Allowing state workers paid time off to make our voices heard in municipal elections is a right that should be protected and treated just like all elections," said Secrist. "This is a good decision, and a victory for working people of New Mexico. We should be looking for ways to make it easier for working people to vote – not make it even more challenging."