2020 Election

Vote Smarter 2020: Some States Allow Early Voters To Change Their Mind

Newsy's Vote Smarter 2020 aims to provide you with all the information you'll need to safely and successfully cast your ballot this year.

Vote Smarter 2020: Some States Allow Early Voters To Change Their Mind
Eric Gay / AP

Can you change your vote if you turn in your ballot early?

"In some states, you can submit your ballot, have a change of heart and, and submit a new ballot. One of those states is Washington state where they can cancel a ballot at any time before Election Day," said Matthew Weil, the director of the Election Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

At least five states allow voters to throw out their first ballot and vote again. In New York, elections officials prioritize in-person ballots, so a voter can effectively nullify their mail-in ballot by voting in person. This year in Minnesota, absentee ballots get locked in two weeks before Nov. 3. It's something they call the clawback date.

"Right, Minnesota has a clawback date, as we call it. So the clawback date is, coincides with a first day that elections administrators can open the ballots. So in Minnesota, that is typically seven days before the election, but this year in this year only it is 14 days before the election," said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Even though some voters are allowed to change their mind, doing so is not necessarily recommended. 

"Wait until you've made up your mind cast one vote, keep it simple. The year is going to be complicated enough," said David Hawkings, the editor in chief of The Fulcrum.