Are Schools Open on Election Day 2024? What to Know

Election Day 2024 has arrived and you may have some questions about the protocol surrounding it.

If you’ve already voted, well done. If not, check local polling locations to find out hours and times in which you can still cast your ballot this year.

Towns and cities across the nation use local schools as polling locations. Because of that, you may be wondering if schools are open on Election Day.

Many schools do, indeed, close on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in order to avoid congestion and traffic problems that might arise from the influx of voters and school buses, as well as the drop-off and pick-up of children throughout the day.

Safety concerns at certain polling sites have also led to some officials closing their schools out of an abundance of caution.

If you’re wondering about your own school district and whether or not there’s school on Election Day, here’s what you need to now.

Are schools open on Election Day 2024?

Throughout the year, there are 11 federal holidays.

While Election Day isn’t officially a federal holiday, many schools are closed in observance of the day, and a fair number of employers give their employees part or all of the day off to provide ample time to vote.

In observance of Election Day 2024, many public schools across the U.S. will be closed or will hold a non-attendance day for students, including those in large cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington D.C.

That said, not all schools will be closed on Nov. 5, which means you’ll need to check your local school district’s calendar to find out whether or not yours is among them.

In what states is Election Day designated a holiday?

In the U.S., there are 13 states that have designated Election Day as a holiday. While all these states have established the day as a public holiday, five of them require employers to provide paid time off for voting, which you’ll see noted below.

States include:

• Delaware
• Hawaii (Paid time off)
• Illinois (Paid time off)
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maryland (Paid time off)
• Michigan
• Montana
• New Jersey
• New York (Paid time off)
• Rhode Island
• Virginia
• West Virginia (Paid time off)