The act of casting a ballot by a voter who was not on the list of eligible voters, whose information was incomplete or not accurate, or who had already received a ballot in the mail and was allowed to vote. Provisional ballots are usually kept separate from the other ballots until an election official can determine if the voter is eligible to vote. These ballots are sometimes called fail-safe votes.
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The act of casting a ballot by a voter who was not on the list of eligible voters, whose information was incomplete or not accurate, or who had already received a ballot in the mail and was allowed to vote. Provisional ballots are usually kept separate from the other ballots until an election official can determine if the voter is eligible to vote. These ballots are sometimes called fail-safe votes.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Vote A Provisional Ballot. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 22, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/vote-a-provisional-ballot
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