Elections & terms
provisional ballot
A ballot cast when a voter's eligibility is in question. It is set aside, and counted only if officials later confirm the voter was eligible.
In full
The Help America Vote Act guarantees a provisional ballot to anyone who says they are registered and eligible but does not appear on the list, or who lacks required identification. It is a fail-safe against clerical error, not a workaround: whether it counts depends on state rules, including whether it was cast in the correct precinct.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.