Let’s say someone votes, and then a few hours later a big story comes out about their chosen candidate, making them completely rethink their decision. Is there any way to change or withdraw a vote once it’s been cast?
Nope, once your ballot is cast, that’s it. There’s no way to link a specific ballot back to an individual after it’s submitted, so it’s both illegal and impossible to change your vote.
Hartley said:
Nope, once your ballot is cast, that’s it. There’s no way to link a specific ballot back to an individual after it’s submitted, so it’s both illegal and impossible to change your vote.
Got it, thanks for the answer 
Just a hypothetical, but I’ll make sure I’m really confident before I vote.
@Noor
Just be glad you don’t have to deal with the old butterfly ballots like they had in Florida in 2000.
As far as I know, there’s no place that allows you to change your vote after it’s cast. Once it’s handed in, no one can connect it back to you.
Joey said:
As far as I know, there’s no place that allows you to change your vote after it’s cast. Once it’s handed in, no one can connect it back to you.
Actually, some states require ballots to be trackable back to a specific voter, even though that’s rare.
@Sloane
To the downvoters, go check Indiana law or the Tenth Circuit’s ruling on ballot numbering in Colorado. It’s not always as clear-cut as it seems.
Sloane said:
@Sloane
To the downvoters, go check Indiana law or the Tenth Circuit’s ruling on ballot numbering in Colorado. It’s not always as clear-cut as it seems.
Can you share some links or sources? My quick search didn’t turn up anything relevant.
@Weston
Look up “secret ballot” on Wikipedia under the section “secrecy exceptions.” Citations 34, 35, and 36 might be useful.
Sloane said:
@Weston
Look up “secret ballot” on Wikipedia under the section “secrecy exceptions.” Citations 34, 35, and 36 might be useful.
That section says ballots sometimes have numbered stubs, which only prove someone voted without linking them to a specific vote. It’s more about tracking the count, not the person.
Generally speaking, it’s impossible to change a vote after casting it, since no one can match a ballot to a voter afterward.
Former election official here. Once a ballot is officially cast, no, it can’t be changed. With mail-in ballots, there’s a process to verify the voter before opening the ballot, but once it’s separated, it’s anonymous.
However, if you lose a mail-in ballot or never receive it, you can vote in person using a provisional ballot. These ballots are reviewed after election day to make sure no double voting happened. If you mailed your ballot in and then showed up at the polls, only one of those would count.
@Jamie
Thanks for the info! When did you serve as an election official?
Noor said:
@Jamie
Thanks for the info! When did you serve as an election official?
Up until the 2014 election cycle.
Noor said:
@Jamie
Thanks for the info! When did you serve as an election official?
Up until the 2014 election cycle.
Also, in Texas, if you’re at the polling place and haven’t submitted your ballot yet, you can back out by asking an election judge to void it as a “spoiled ballot.” You’d still be allowed to vote later on the same day.
We had a similar situation here. Our state candidate got in trouble after early voting had started, and a lot of people had already voted for her. There was no way to change it once the votes were cast.
@sebas
I’d be curious to know what she was charged with. Usually, you can’t swap out candidates right before an election.
Xian said:
@sebas
I’d be curious to know what she was charged with. Usually, you can’t swap out candidates right before an election.
“…charged with attempt to influence a public servant, forgery, providing false information about a residence, perjury, and procuring false registration.”
Here’s a screenshot of an article about it.
Better luck next election.
Once it’s cast, it’s done.