Do you have to vote for everything on your ballot? (2024)

Ballotpedia's 2024 Election Help Desk « 2022

Frequently asked questions Can I register to vote online? Can I register to vote on Election Day? Do I need voter ID? Can I check the status of my absentee ballot? When can states start counting absentee ballots? What is a provisional ballot? Can candidates win an election if they have already conceded?

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You do not have to vote for everything on your ballot. The act of leaving one option blank on a ballot while filling out other options is commonly referred to as undervoting. For example, a voter that is permitted to cast one vote for a presidential candidate and does not select a candidate, or a voter who has only cast two votes in a contest allowing three, has undervoted. Voters have the right to undervote if they choose to do so.

A ballot will not be canceled or disqualified as the result of an undervote. An undervote can be intentional (e.g., protest votes, tactical voting, or abstention) or unintentional (e.g., oversight on the voter's part or confusing ballot design).

Undervoting does not directly affect candidate elections with a majority requirement to win. Undervoting can affect ballot measure results, however. As of 2024, in seven states, constitutional amendments were required to be approved by a certain percentage of all voters casting a ballot in the election, making the effect of a blank vote different. In states requiring majority approval from all ballots cast in the election, leaving the question blank is the same as voting against the measure. The threshold for approval varied from 30% to a majority of all ballots cast in the election. Click here to read about how undervoting affects ballot measure campaigns in those seven states.

See also

• Voting in 2024
• Who can I contact with questions about voting?
• Who runs elections in the United States?
• Why do states have different election rules?
• Can I register to vote online?
• Does my state have same-day voter registration?
• Do I need voter ID?
• What happens if I mark outside the lines or use the wrong pen/pencil?
• Can I take a ballot selfie?
• Is my employer required to grant me time off to vote?
• Can I vote if I have a felony conviction?
• Can I vote if I am not a citizen?
• How are candidates ordered on the ballot?
• What is a provisional ballot?
• What does it mean to challenge a voter's eligibility, and who can do it?
• How can I learn more about how my jurisdiction administers elections?