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What to Do If You Arrive at the Wrong Polling Location

If you arrive at a polling place that may not serve your address, verify your location with an election official before casting a ballot. Rules for vote centers, provisional ballots, and unreturned mail ballots vary by jurisdiction.

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Before casting a ballot, check whether the location accepts voters from your address. Look up your polling place on your official state or local election website or in your voter-registration record, and ask a poll worker to verify where you should vote. Some jurisdictions assign voters to specific polling places; others use vote centers where any voter in the jurisdiction can cast a ballot. A nearby site is not necessarily the right one for you.

First, verify whether you are at the right place

  1. Check your assigned location. Use the official state or local election office website, or your voter-registration record, to confirm the polling place and hours for this election. Locations can change between elections.
  2. Ask a poll worker to check your address. They may be able to confirm whether the site serves your address or direct you to the correct one. If they cannot, contact your election office for instructions.
  3. Follow the instructions for your jurisdiction. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission explains that some states require voters to use a specific Election Day location, while others have vote centers where any voter in the jurisdiction may vote: How do I vote in-person on Election Day?

Do not cast a ballot at a site that may be wrong based on an assumption that all nearby polling places serve the same voters. Ask an election official whether the location accepts your address before proceeding.

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If you cannot get to the correct location

Ask the poll worker or election office what options apply to your address and this election. A provisional ballot is not a universal substitute for voting at the correct location, and whether a ballot cast in the wrong precinct will count depends on state law.

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Federal law requires an offer of a provisional ballot in certain federal-election situations, including when you say you are registered but your name is not on the eligible-voter list, or a poll worker asserts you are ineligible. Election officials review the ballot and your eligibility under state law. The EAC describes that review in its Overview of Federal Election Laws. If you are issued a provisional ballot, ask how and when you can check its status; federal law requires a way for voters to access information about whether their provisional ballot was counted.

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If you have an unreturned mail ballot

Tell a poll worker or your election office that you still have your mail ballot before voting in person. The procedure varies by state: officials may tell you to surrender the uncast ballot, return it in person, or vote provisionally. Do not assume you can simply vote in person without first checking the local rule. USAGov explains that procedures differ by state in its Absentee voting and voting by mail guidance.

Use official election information

For your polling place, hours, registration status, or directions on a provisional or mail ballot, use your state or local election office. USAGov’s voter registration status guidance explains how to confirm registration and polling-place details. The EAC’s Provisional Voting resource discusses election-administration practices, but local officials are the source for the rules that apply to your address and election.

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