Is Election Day considered a holiday? What to know about 2026 California primary

The 2026 California primary election is less than a month away.

Voters across California will cast their ballots to weigh in on federal races and major statewide offices — including governor.

As Election Day approaches, California voters should be aware of important voting dates, registration deadlines and polling information ahead of time.

With Election Day landing on a weekday, many voters might need to squeeze in an early morning trip to the polls, take an extended lunch break or cast their ballot after work.

Is Election Day considered a holiday? Do California workers get the day off to vote?

Here’s what to know:

When is Election Day in June 2026?

The 2026 primary election is on Tuesday, June 2.

When can I vote in California 2026 primary election?

California voters can begin returning their ballots at an Early Voting site.

While operation hours at Early Voting sites vary by county, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day — Tuesday, June, 2.

“No voters who arrive after the polls close may cast votes,” according to the California Secretary of State website.

At 8 p.m., county elections officials will begin tallying the results.

Is Election Day a federal holiday?

Election Day is not a federal holiday.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, there are currently 11 federal holidays — and Election Day is not one of them.

That means most California voters are still expected to work on Election Day.

Some states, however, have designated Election Day as an official holiday or require employers to provide time off for voting.

In February 2024, U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, introduced the Election Day Holiday Act, a bill that would designate Election Day as a federal holiday to boost voter participation.

It did not advance past the House Committee for Oversight and Accountability

However, another bill was introduced in the House committee during January 2025 to establish Election Day as a federal holiday.

Can I take time off work to vote in California?

Though California does not list Election Day among its official state holidays, state law requires employers to give workers paid time off to vote if they do not have enough time outside working hours to cast a ballot.

Under California Elections Code, California workers can take time off to vote while polls are open.

“No more than two hours of the time taken off for voting shall be without loss of pay,” the law says.

Time away from work to vote should be taken at the beginning or end of a shift — whichever causes the least disruption to the workday — unless the employer and employee agree on another arrangement.

According to California’s Elections Code, employers should also post a notice about voting leave at least 10 days before a statewide election in a place where employees can easily see it.

“The intent of the law is to provide an opportunity to vote for workers who would not be able to do so because of their jobs,” the California Secretary of State said.

If you think you’ll need extra time off work to vote, your employer can ask you to give advance notice at least three working days before the election.

Employers cannot require workers to bring their mail ballot to fill it out while on the job to save time away from work, according to California Elections Code.

Have a question about the 2026 primary election?

You can ask the California service journalism team by submitting questions directly to our reporters by emailing servicejournalists@sacbee.com or by filling out the form below.

We have reporters covering Sacramento, Modesto, Fresno, San Luis Obispo and Merced.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Is Election Day considered a holiday? What to know about 2026 California primary."

Angela Rodriguez

The Modesto Bee

279-386-2738

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.