Characteristics of the dc drift phenomenon in electro-optic polymer modulators have been analyzed. It is found that the dc drift originates from the difference between the dielectric relaxation times of the guiding and cladding layers. The dc drift is accelerated as the intensity of the guided light increases. Furthermore, it becomes faster when the device is exposed to visible light. The effect of the guided light and visible light on the dc drift is interpreted in terms of the photoconductivity of the guiding layer. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.