If They Give You a Provisional Ballot, How Do You Know If It Is Being Counted?

[AndyTiedye]

Provisional ballots are not even looked at unless the election is "close" without them.

If they are looked at, how is the decision to accept or reject them made?
Does it require the voter to show up at the town hall the day after the election with a lawyer and a trunk full of paperwork?
Or is that done in a back room, without the voter ever even knowing the decision or having any recourse?

[MadAnne]

1. you need to check your state election laws n/t

[tblue]

2. It will NOT be counted. Do not vote on a provisional ballot. Vote early if you can.

Get the crap sorted out while there's time. Provisional ballots will be filed in the round file. Trust no one.

[PAMod]

3. You get a receipt with a number & barcode.

On the receipt is a phone number, which you can call a few days after the vote, and they will tell you if the ballot was accepted in full, in part, or not at all.

One example of when it would be accepted in part is if you are registered, but your registration was moved to another polling place - you might not be eligible to vote in a local race where you voted, so they would void that part of the ballot, but accept a state wide or national election vote.