diff --git a/src/routes/postBranding.ts b/src/routes/postBranding.ts
index 1be7572..72c34b4 100644
--- a/src/routes/postBranding.ts
+++ b/src/routes/postBranding.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,10 @@ export async function postBranding(req: Request, res: Response) {
         const hashedIP = await getHashCache(getIP(req) + config.globalSalt as IPAddress);
         const isBanned = await checkBanStatus(hashedUserID, hashedIP);
 
-        if (!await canVote(hashedUserID)) {
-            res.status(200).send("OK");
+        const permission = await canVote(hashedUserID);
+        if (!permission.canSubmit) {
+            res.status(403).send(permission.reason);
+            return;
         }
 
         if (videoDuration && thumbnail && await checkForWrongVideoDuration(videoID, videoDuration)) {
diff --git a/src/routes/postCasual.ts b/src/routes/postCasual.ts
index 9a356c2..e7cba7a 100644
--- a/src/routes/postCasual.ts
+++ b/src/routes/postCasual.ts
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ export async function postCasual(req: Request, res: Response) {
         const hashedIP = await getHashCache(getIP(req) + config.globalSalt as IPAddress);
         const isBanned = await checkBanStatus(hashedUserID, hashedIP);
 
-        if (!await canVote(hashedUserID)) {
-            res.status(200).send("OK");
+        const permission = await canVote(hashedUserID);
+        if (!permission.canSubmit) {
+            res.status(403).send(permission.reason);
+            return;
         }
 
         const lock = await acquireLock(`postCasual:${videoID}.${hashedUserID}`);
diff --git a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
index 215119d..1eb7c9a 100644
--- a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
+++ b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
@@ -343,8 +343,12 @@ export async function vote(ip: IPAddress, UUID: SegmentUUID, paramUserID: UserID
     const nonAnonUserID = await getHashCache(paramUserID);
     const userID = await getHashCache(paramUserID + UUID);
 
-    if (!await canVote(nonAnonUserID)) {
-        return { status: 200 };
+    const permission = await canVote(nonAnonUserID);
+    if (!permission.canSubmit) {
+        return {
+            status: 403,
+            message: permission.reason
+        };
     }
 
     //hash the ip 5000 times so no one can get it from the database