On Mahalo Answers a question is open for 3 days and then goes to voting. The asker is able to choose Best Answer at any time during those 3 days. When that time is about to run out, the asker is reminded by an email notice from Mahalo. However, sometimes the asker does not choose Best Answer during those 3 days. In that case, the question goes into the "Undecided Questions" category which you can view by hitting that tab on the Mahalo Answers page (unless there are no answers at all, in which case it stays in the "Open Questions" category until there's an answer or it gets removed by Mahalo as no longer of interest if for example it asks about something that has expired). Once a question is Undecided, you can see it there and vote, but you cannot vote for your own answer. In fact, you can't even see who the answerers and commenters are until after you vote, to reduce the chance of favoritism.

In short, you know that 3 days after a question was posted and you did not receive notification of having your answer selected as Best Answer that either (a) someone else's was selected, or (b) it went into Undecided and is waiting for enough votes to decide the matter. You can vote on Undecided Questions, but you cannot vote for your own answer.

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