So tried un-downvote a answer the other day, but it was locked in, but a question I asked was un-upvoted which did not have any activity for nearly a year.

Why is a question able to be un up or down voted , but an answer is? Why is this possible?

  • 5
    I downvoted this meta question because it's based on a false assumption (namely, that you can un-up/down-vote a question but not an answer). Not your fault, of course, but if a post based on a false assumption became upvoted, it might induce the same false assumption in others (e.g. if they see it on the list of Hot Meta Posts).
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Jan 12 '20 at 13:40

There is no difference in behaviour between questions and answers.

The only reason that your question could be unupvoted was because you had recently edited it (so "which did not have any activity for nearly a year" is incorrect).

Your vote on any post (question or answer) can be reversed for five minutes; after that they're locked in, but any edit to the post will unlock the vote to be reversed. See also Why do votes get locked? on main meta.

  • Ahh, I see. So if an edit is made any locked in votes are unlocked. Just for future reference, how long is the unlock open for after the edit?
    – KyloRen
    Jan 13 '20 at 7:22
  • 1
    @KyloRen Depends what you mean. You can undo a vote at any time after the post is edited (the system understands that the post may be different at that point). But if you vote again after editing, then that vote is locked in after 5 minutes unless the post is edited again.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Jan 13 '20 at 8:13

Votes are locked in on any post 5 minutes after casting them. An edit on the post unlocks this though so if an edit is made after the vote is cast the voter gets a chance to change the vote or make no vote at all.

Presumably in this case the question has been edited after your vote but the answer not.


You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .