Amazon Allows Unpaid Voting Time in Kenosha
Amazon confirmed its Kenosha warehouse workers may take up to three hours of unpaid time off to vote on Election Day.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
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Amazon confirmed that employees at its Kenosha, Wisconsin warehouse may take up to three consecutive hours off to vote while polls are open on Election Day, November 3, 2026. The hours can be unpaid, and the company said workers who submit a Voting Time Off request may use the window.
Why it matters
Wisconsin law requires employers to offer workers up to three hours off to vote, and a warehouse worker alleged Amazon's policy was illegal, a claim the company called inaccurate. The dispute centers on whether the time off is guaranteed for all workers on Election Day.
Wisconsin law requires all employers to offer workers up to three hours off to vote, and that time can be unpaid. Amazon's policy allows employees to submit a Voting Time Off request for a window of up to three consecutive hours while polls are open.
The players
Amazon
Amazon is the global e-commerce and cloud computing company whose Kenosha, Wisconsin warehouse is at the center of the voting time-off dispute.
Wisconsin Elections Commission
The Wisconsin Elections Commission is the state body that oversees election administration and issued the September advisory opinion that employers cannot require voting during non-work hours.
Rep. Angelina Cruz
Rep. Angelina Cruz is a Wisconsin state representative from Racine who was contacted by a warehouse worker concerned that employees would not be guaranteed time off on Election Day.
The details
The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued an advisory opinion in September stating employers cannot require voting during non-work hours. Amazon began sharing voting time-off information with its sites nationwide in late October and sent direct push notifications to workers, while Democrats held a press conference outside the Kenosha warehouse on November 2, 2026.
Timeline
September 2026: Wisconsin Elections Commission issues advisory opinion on voting time off.
Late October 2026: Amazon begins sharing voting time-off information across its sites.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Democrats hold press conference outside the Kenosha Amazon warehouse.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election Day, when workers may take up to three hours off to vote.
Political Context
Wisconsin's three-hour voting time-off requirement is the state law against which Amazon's Kenosha policy is measured. The worker's allegation and Amazon's rebuttal turn on whether unpaid time off satisfies that mandate in practice.
Eligible Kenosha warehouse workers can submit a Voting Time Off request to take up to three consecutive hours off while polls are open on Election Day. Because the hours may be unpaid, workers should plan their voting time around their shift schedule.
The takeaway
Workers who want to vote on Election Day should check their employer's voting time-off policy in advance, since state law sets the minimum and the hours may be unpaid. Knowing the exact window your employer allows can prevent missed voting opportunities.
What happens next
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, when Kenosha warehouse workers may use the three-hour voting window.
Further reading
For more on how voting rules affect workers, see Elections coverage across Kenosha.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WPR.
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