(KTLA) -- Californians have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2024 general election, but it could be hard for some to find time to vote since Election Day is during the workweek. Whether you plan to leave earlier in the morning to accommodate voting or want to take an extended lunch, here’s what you need to know about voting in California. State law requires employers to allow paid time off for employees who need to vote. “Employees are eligible for paid time off for the purpose of voting only if they do not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote. The intent of the law is to provide an opportunity to vote to workers who would not be able to do so because of their jobs,” the California Secretary of State website said. Bay Area voter’s guide to key races in 2024 election Regardless of whether you decided to vote in person or by mail, all registered voters received a vote-by-mail ballot. If you choose to vote by mail, the ballot must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5. You can drop off a vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California or the office of your county election official before polls close. Find the nearest polling places to vote in person or drop off your ballot statewide here. Residents can also visit WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to be notified when their ballot was mailed, received, and counted. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 21, but California does allow same-day voter registration. More information about that can be found on the Secretary of State website. To register to vote in California, a person must be: A U.S. citizen and a resident of California 18 years old or older on Election Day Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court Important election dates and deadlines for California voters Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the state: Nov. 5 Vote‐By‐Mail Ballots returned by mail, in order to be counted, must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office: Nov. 12 Last day for county elections officials to certify election results: Dec. 5