Nearly 65% of eligible voters are expected to turn out this year, the highest since 1908, according to the Brookings Institution.

Waits of two to three hours for employees to cast ballots could bring some businesses almost to a standstill. And scheduled time off for employees to attend post-election bashes later in the week could further empty offices.

To minimize the potential impact on their workplaces:

•Home Depot encouraged shift workers to vote early in states where it was permitted. Spokeswoman Sarah Molinari says the company also asked each employee to work out a time with their manager to vote.

•At oDesk, a venture-backed start-up in Menlo Park, Calif., employees can take as much time as needed to vote. The company, which specializes in hiring and managing tech service providers, even let workers get into the election spirit by displaying political buttons and T-shirts.

The election "has already had an impact on people's ability to focus and a loss of productivity, so I'm kind of excited for it to be over," says CEO Gary Swart.

•Federal employees can get an excused absence to report to work three hours after polls open or leave work three hours before the polls close.

An effort by some members of Congress to give them two extra hours failed.

•At Edelman Public Relations in Atlanta, company executives say employees can take whatever time is needed to vote. Those who bring in an "I voted" sticker can trade it for a free 15-minute chair massage set up in the office.

It's not just that some employers are magnanimous. While federal law doesn't require employers to give time off, most states have statutes allowing it, says lawyer Kevin Kraham with the law firm of Littler Mendelson in Washington, D.C. The amount of time given, when it can be taken and whether it is paid varies.