Provisional Ballots 

Voters should always cast a regular ballot when it is available to them: Regular ballots are counted without any additional verification while Provisional Ballots may require additional action by the voter. 

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What is a “Provisional Ballot”? 

Provisional Ballots are used when election officials cannot confirm an individual voter’s eligibility to cast a regular ballot in real time. Election officials must then determine the voter’s eligibility, and depending on this determination, a provisional ballot may or may not be counted. 

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No voter should ever be turned away from voting without being offered the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot.

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Voters should never be asked to vote a provisional ballot because election machines are not working or because the polling place is out of regular ballots. 

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Who should use a Provisional Ballot?

Voters should only cast a provisional ballot in very limited circumstances: 

• When the voter believes they are registered and eligible to vote, but election officials inform the voter they are not registered or not eligible to vote; 

• When the voter can’t provide proper ID or an acceptable alternative when they vote in person. 

• When the voter cancels their mail-in ballot but does not return their mail-in ballot. 

• In counties that require voters to vote only in their precinct, voters should never cast a provisional ballot because they appeared at the wrong polling place. Instead, voters should leave and vote at the correct precinct polling place based on their registration address. 

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How do I make sure my Provisional Ballot is counted?: Depends on why the voter needed to cast a provisional ballot 

• Voter Did Not Have Acceptable ID: If a voter casts a provisional ballot because of an ID issue, they must visit their county elections office no later than 6 calendar days after Election Day and bring an acceptable photo ID or fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, or their provisional ballot will not be counted. 

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• Eligibility Questions: If a voter is required to cast a provisional ballot because election officials believe the voter is not registered or not eligible, the voter should immediately contact the county and provide any verification or proof of registration that confirms registration status. Voters in this situation should also call election protection volunteers at 1-866-OUR-VOTE for assistance. 

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• Voter Canceled Mail-in Ballot but Did Not Turn in Ballot: Once the period for returning mail-in ballots is completed (no later than 5pm the day after Election Day), the county verifies that the voter did not vote in person and by mail. Once verified, the ballot is counted.