The drift of the direct current (dc) quadrature bias voltage was monitored in electro-optic polymer Mach–Zehnder modulators for over 600 h. Traceable bias voltage was observed in polyurethane-Disperse Red 19 modulators. Electric field relaxation analysis showed that steady state dc and alternating current (ac) field distributions on polymer layers depended on the dielectric properties of the materials. The long-term bias stability of our modulators was originated from the low conductivity of the electro-optic polymer guiding layer. A concept of material electrical compatibility is introduced as a materials selection guideline for the fabrication of polymer modulators with the minimum bias drift. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.