A provisional ballot counts only if officials confirm the voter was eligible. After Election Day, they review each ballot under federal and state rules. If the voter was eligible, the ballot is counted. If not, it’s rejected.

The number of provisional ballots in each state varies, because each state sets its own verification rules. The Election Assistance Commission tracks how many provisional ballots are cast and counted after each federal election.

Federal law requires every state to give provisional voters a free way to check their ballot's status, either via a toll-free phone number or a website. They tell the voter whether their ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was rejected.