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What is a provisional ballot? (2024)

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Elections by state

A provisional ballot is a ballot cast by a voter whose eligibility to vote cannot be proven at the polls on Election Day. If, after the election, administrators determine that the voter who cast the provisional ballot was eligible to vote, the ballot will be counted as a regular ballot. Federal law requires most states to provide for a provisional balloting process (states that had enacted same-day voter registration processes as of 1993 were exempted from this requirement). As of 2024, every state except Idaho and Minnesota had established a provisional voting process.[1]

Although federal law mandates provisional voting processes, the states themselves define those processes. Consequently, provisional balloting can vary widely from state to state.[1]

See also

Footnotes