Yes. Election Day is a state holiday in Virginia, and has been since 2020. The Tuesday after the first Monday in November is one of 13 paid holidays on the Commonwealth’s calendar every year, presidential cycle or not.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 2.2-3300 – Legal Holidays The practical catch: that status binds state government, not private employers. Whether you personally get the day off depends on who signs your paycheck.
Who Actually Gets the Day Off
State executive-branch agencies generally close, and their employees receive a paid holiday. The Department of Human Resource Management lists Election Day among the 13 official paid holidays for state workers, and its 2026 pay calendar marks November 3 as the Election Day closure.2Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. 2026 Pay and Holiday Calendar Agencies that have to stay operational, like certain public-safety offices, can set alternate schedules so affected employees still get the same number of holiday days over the year.3Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Policy 4.25 Holidays
Public schools make their own call. Local boards decide independently whether students attend, and many districts cancel class or schedule a teacher workday, in part because school buildings often serve as polling places. Check your district’s calendar rather than assuming a closure.
State courts generally follow the holiday calendar, so filings and hearings tend to get pushed. If you have a deadline landing on Election Day, confirm with your local clerk whether it rolls to the next business day.
Private Employers Don’t Have To Close
The state’s holiday designation governs government operations. It does not require private businesses to shut down, offer paid time off, or pay a holiday premium.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 2.2-3300 – Legal Holidays No Virginia statute compels extra wages for Election Day work. Whether you get the day off, holiday pay, or nothing at all depends on your employer’s policies or your employment agreement. Most workers in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services report to their usual shifts.
No Right to Paid Time Off To Vote
Virginia also does not require private employers to give workers time off to vote. Some states mandate a window of paid or unpaid voting leave; Virginia is not one of them. If your employer doesn’t observe the holiday, you’ll need to plan around your shift.
How To Vote When You’re Still Working
Virginia makes that planning easier than it used to be. In-person early voting opens 45 days before any election and runs through 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday before Election Day, with no excuse required.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-701.1 – Absentee Voting in Person For the November 2026 general election, that window runs from September 18 through October 31.5Virginia Department of Elections. Upcoming Elections Early voting happens at your local voter registration office during regular business hours, with at least one Saturday included.
On Election Day itself, polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. If you’re in line by 7:00 p.m., you’ll be allowed to vote no matter how long it takes.6Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-603 – Hours Polls To Be Open, Closing the Polls At 6:45 p.m., election officers announce a 15-minute warning and start listing everyone already in line.
If You’re Working as an Election Officer
Virginia does carve out specific protections for people serving as election officers, electoral board members, or deputy general registrars. Under Virginia Code 24.2-119.1, your employer cannot fire you, take any adverse action, or make you use sick leave or vacation time because you were at a polling place on Election Day.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-119.1 – Prohibition on Discrimination in Employment You have to give your employer reasonable advance notice of your service to qualify.
For long shifts, the protection goes further. If you serve four or more hours including travel time, your employer cannot require you to start a work shift at or after 5:00 p.m. that day or before 3:00 a.m. the next morning.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-119.1 – Prohibition on Discrimination in Employment An employer who violates these rules commits a Class 3 misdemeanor. The protections cover people administering the election, not voters generally.
Not a Federal Holiday
Virginia’s designation is a state decision. Election Day is not a federal holiday, so federal employees working in Virginia do not automatically get the day off under the federal holiday schedule.8U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays Federal agencies may grant limited administrative leave for voting in some situations, but there’s no guaranteed day. Bills to make Election Day a federal holiday keep getting introduced, including the Election Day Act in the current session, but none have passed.9Congress.gov. H.R.154 – Election Day Act