Plan would give Kansas City’s city employees paid days off to volunteer at elections
Kansas City’s city employees would get eight hours of paid leave twice a year to volunteer as election workers under an ordinance introduced Thursday by Mayor Quinton Lucas and Councilwoman Katheryn Shields.
“It will help people vote: vote faster, with greater ease, and to make everyone’s voices heard this November and beyond,” Lucas said in a statement before Thursday’s City Council meeting.
Shields, 4th District at-large, said the city can’t demand citizens wait in line for hours to vote. She encouraged businesses to offer similar time-off benefits so their employees can help at the polls.
“Every organization — not just Kansas City and Jackson County, but also private employers — should not only ensure their employees can vote and make it easy for them to do so, but consider joining us in helping the Election Board with its vital work,” she said.
City employees are already eligible for up to three consecutive hours of paid leave to vote.
The ordinance would give them the paid days off to work at Kansas City polling sites. The next elections are the Aug. 4 primary and the Nov. 3 general election.
