A provisional ballot is voted the same as any other ballot except you must sign an affidavit attesting to your eligibility to vote and complete a voter update form. Reasons you may vote a provisional ballot include:
- Your name does not appear on the official list of voters for the precinct or polling place and your registration cannot be verified by the registrar or the judge of probate
- An inspector knows you are not allowed to vote at that precinct
- You are unable to show acceptable photo ID
- The polling place closing time is extended by federal or state court order
- You had requested, but not voted, an absentee ballot
If your name is not on the poll list, the provisional ballot will be counted only if the county board of registrars is able to confirm, after the election, that you are a duly qualified elector of the county.
When you cast a provisional ballot because you did not have proper identification at the polling place, you have until the Friday following the election to submit the ID to the board of registrars. If proper ID is submitted by this deadline, the ballot will be counted. You may also cast a provisional ballot if you did not receive a requested absentee ballot or did not vote the absentee ballot.
Provisional ballots are counted by noon, 7 days after the election. To find out if your provisional ballot was counted, use your state’s provisional ballot tool.
