Request an Excused Absence to Vote

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On March 24, 2022, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance and direction to federal agencies to implement Executive Order No. 14019 “Promoting Access to Voting,” with the intent of expanding the federal government’s policy of granting employees time off to participate in the democratic process. On June 22, 2022, NATCA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the implementation of Executive Order No. 14019. Under the MOU, bargaining unit employees (BUEs) may request up to four (4) hours of excused absence to vote on election day or on an early voting day. BUEs may request excused absence for:

• Federal general elections;
• Primaries and caucuses;
• State, local, municipal, tribal, and territorial level elections;
• Special congressional elections that are not held on the date of a federal general election;
• Serving as a non-partisan poll worker (including training); and
• Participating in non-partisan observer activities at the federal, state, local (i.e., county, and municipal), tribal, and territorial level (including training).

BUEs may use excused absence for travel time to and from their polling location but may not use excused absence during a non-workday or during overtime work hours. The FAA will grant requests for excused absence subject to staffing and workload and will make necessary operational adjustments to accommodate a BUE’s request. BUEs may use excused absence for the purposes outlined in the MOU multiple times per year but are limited to four (4) hours per election event.

Members with questions should contact their regional leadership for assistance.

In Solidarity,
National Executive Board