Is Election Day a federal holiday? A complete list of what is open and closed

Election Day marks the day when most Americans cast their votes in presidential, state and local elections. This year, Election Day falls on Tuesday, November 5th.

Not every state has declared Election Day a holiday, but to make it easier to vote, some states have done so and required many companies to offer paid leave so people can vote.

Only five states — Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York and West Virginia — recognize Election Day as a federal holiday and require employers to take time off to vote. According to the Movement Advancement Project, that's around 13 percent of the voting population.

Nine states have Election Day as a holiday but do not enforce paid voting leave: Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia.

That leaves 17 states that force employers to provide vacation time to their employees, but where Election Day is not a federal holiday. California and Texas, two of the largest states, are included.

California, for example, allows voters to get two hours of paid voting leave if they don't have enough time outside of work hours.

Some states, such as Connecticut, Louisiana and Michigan, do not offer assistance to help residents take time off to work. Instead, postal voting and early voting are available to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their vote.

Banks

Since Election Day is not recognized as a federal holiday, banks should continue operating as usual.

Bank of America, PNC Bank and Wells Fargo report they are open.

Banks are generally closed on days designated as federal holidays by the U.S. federal government.

Schools

While many schools will continue to operate as normal, some will be closed and operated as polling stations.

In El Paso, Texas, for example, three counties are closing schools due to voting safety concerns.

“This is the first year that we feel like we have concerns about student safety, not because of anything that's happening, not because of any specific threat, but simply because the state is enforcing an election law that prevents us from doing so prevents us from closing our front doors,” Gustavo Reveles, spokesman for the Canutillo Independent School District, told KFOX in El Paso.

Each local school district has the final say, but public schools in major cities like New York and Chicago will remain closed on Election Day.

Post offices

The U.S. Post Office will deliver mail on Election Day according to its holiday schedule.

Outside of the post office, some other companies are adjusting their hours to give employees more flexibility in dropping off their ballots. These include REI, which is delaying its opening hours by two hours, as well as clothing store Patagonia, which is closing its stores completely to ensure that employees have time to vote.

Dishes

Many state courts close on November 5th.

The Southern District of New York lists Election Day as a holiday, as do counties in the state such as the Illinois court system. This means that all employees are off and no hearings are scheduled for that day.

Nationally, Americans are choosing between the two major party candidates, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Americans will also elect lawmakers for all 435 House seats and 34 Senate positions.