diff --git a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
index 65d8dc6..5dacae9 100644
--- a/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
+++ b/src/routes/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
@@ -486,16 +486,15 @@ export async function vote(ip: IPAddress, UUID: SegmentUUID, paramUserID: UserID
         }
 
         // Only change the database if they have made a submission before and haven't voted recently
-        const userAbleToVote = (!(isOwnSubmission && incrementAmount > 0 && oldIncrementAmount >= 0)
-                && !(originalType === VoteType.Malicious && segmentInfo.actionType !== ActionType.Chapter)
-                && !finalResponse.blockVote
-                && finalResponse.finalStatus === 200
-                && (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "userID" FROM "sponsorTimes" WHERE "userID" = ?`, [nonAnonUserID], { useReplica: true })) !== undefined
-                && (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "userID" FROM "shadowBannedUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?`, [nonAnonUserID], { useReplica: true })) === undefined
-                && (await privateDB.prepare("get", `SELECT "UUID" FROM "votes" WHERE "UUID" = ? AND "hashedIP" = ? AND "userID" != ?`, [UUID, hashedIP, userID], { useReplica: true })) === undefined);
-
-
-        const ableToVote = isVIP || isTempVIP || userAbleToVote;
+        const ableToVote = isVIP || isTempVIP || (
+            (!(isOwnSubmission && incrementAmount > 0 && oldIncrementAmount >= 0)
+            && !(originalType === VoteType.Malicious && segmentInfo.actionType !== ActionType.Chapter)
+            && !finalResponse.blockVote
+            && finalResponse.finalStatus === 200
+            && (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "userID" FROM "sponsorTimes" WHERE "userID" = ? AND "category" = ? AND "votes" > -2 AND "hidden" = 0 AND "shadowHidden" = 0 LIMIT 1`, [nonAnonUserID, segmentInfo.category], { useReplica: true }) !== undefined)
+            && (await db.prepare("get", `SELECT "userID" FROM "shadowBannedUsers" WHERE "userID" = ?`, [nonAnonUserID], { useReplica: true })) === undefined
+            && (await privateDB.prepare("get", `SELECT "UUID" FROM "votes" WHERE "UUID" = ? AND "hashedIP" = ? AND "userID" != ?`, [UUID, hashedIP, userID], { useReplica: true })) === undefined)
+        );
 
         if (ableToVote) {
             //update the votes table
diff --git a/test/cases/voteOnSponsorTime.ts b/test/cases/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
index 755735f..2511332 100644
--- a/test/cases/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
+++ b/test/cases/voteOnSponsorTime.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ const vipUser = "VIPUser";
 const randomID2 = "randomID2";
 const randomID2Hashed = getHash(randomID2);
 const categoryChangeUser = "category-change-user";
+const outroSubmitter = "outro-submitter";
+const badIntroSubmitter = "bad-intro-submitter";
+const hiddenInteractionSubmitter = "hidden-interaction-submitter";
 
 describe("voteOnSponsorTime", () => {
     before(async () => {
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ describe("voteOnSponsorTime", () => {
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest2", 1, 11, 2, 0, "vote-uuid-1", "testman", 0, 50, "sponsor", "skip", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest2", 1, 11, 10, 0, "vote-uuid-1.5", "testman", 0, 50, "outro", "skip", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest2", 1, 11, 10, 0, "vote-uuid-1.6", "testman", 0, 50, "interaction", "skip", 0, 0]);
-        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest3", 20, 33, 10, 0, "vote-uuid-2", "testman", 0, 50, "intro", "skip", 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest3", 20, 33, 10, 0, "vote-uuid-2", "testman", 0, 50, "sponsor", "skip", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-testtesttest,test", 1, 11, 100, 0, "vote-uuid-3", "testman", 0, 50, "sponsor", "skip", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-test3", 1, 11, 2, 0, "vote-uuid-4", "testman", 0, 50, "sponsor", "skip", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-test3", 7, 22, -3, 0, "vote-uuid-5", "testman", 0, 50, "intro", "skip", 0, 0]);
@@ -71,6 +74,19 @@ describe("voteOnSponsorTime", () => {
         await db.prepare("run", `UPDATE "sponsorTimes" SET "videoDuration" = 150 WHERE "UUID" = 'duration-changed-uuid-2'`);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["chapter-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "chapter-uuid-1", "testman", 0, 0, "chapter", "chapter", 0, 0]);
         await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["chapter-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "non-chapter-uuid-2", "testman", 0, 0, "sponsor", "skip", 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["chapter-video", 11, 20, 0, 0, "chapter-uuid-2", randomID2Hashed, 0, 0, "chapter", "chapter", 0, 0]);
+        // segments for testing stricter voting requirements
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "good-outro-submission", getHash(outroSubmitter), 0, 0, "outro", "skip", 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, -2, 0, "bad-intro-submission", getHash(badIntroSubmitter), 0, 0, "intro", "skip", 0, 0]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "hidden-interaction-submission", getHash(hiddenInteractionSubmitter), 0, 0, "interaction", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "testing-outro-skip-1", "testman", 0, 0, "outro", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 22, 25, 0, 0, "testing-outro-skip-2", "testman", 0, 0, "outro", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "testing-outro-mute-1", "testman", 0, 0, "outro", "mute", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 22, 25, 0, 0, "testing-outro-mute-2", "testman", 0, 0, "outro", "mute", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "testing-intro-skip-1", "testman", 0, 0, "intro", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 22, 25, 0, 0, "testing-intro-skip-2", "testman", 0, 0, "intro", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 1, 10, 0, 0, "testing-interaction-skip-1", "testman", 0, 0, "interaction", "skip", 0, 1]);
+        await db.prepare("run", insertSponsorTimeQuery, ["vote-requirements-video", 22, 25, 0, 0, "testing-interaction-skip-2", "testman", 0, 0, "interaction", "skip", 0, 1]);
 
         const insertWarningQuery = 'INSERT INTO "warnings" ("userID", "issueTime", "issuerUserID", "enabled") VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?)';
         await db.prepare("run", insertWarningQuery, [warnUser01Hash, now, warnVip01Hash,  1]);
@@ -707,4 +723,100 @@ describe("voteOnSponsorTime", () => {
                 .catch(err => done(err));
         });
     });
+
+    it("Should be able to upvote a segment if the user has submitted that in category", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-outro-skip-1";
+        postVote(outroSubmitter, UUID, 1)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 1);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should be able to downvote a segment if the user has submitted that in category", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-outro-skip-2";
+        postVote(outroSubmitter, UUID, 0)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, -1);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should be able to upvote a segment if the user has submitted that in category but different action", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-outro-mute-1";
+        postVote(outroSubmitter, UUID, 1)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 1);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should be able to downvote a segment if the user has submitted that in category but different action", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-outro-mute-2";
+        postVote(outroSubmitter, UUID, 0)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, -1);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should not be able to upvote a segment if the user's only submission of that category was downvoted", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-intro-skip-1";
+        postVote(badIntroSubmitter, UUID, 1)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 0);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should not be able to downvote a segment if the user's only submission of that category was downvoted", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-intro-skip-2";
+        postVote(badIntroSubmitter, UUID, 0)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 0);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should not be able to upvote a segment if the user's only submission of that category was hidden", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-interaction-skip-1";
+        postVote(hiddenInteractionSubmitter, UUID, 1)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 0);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
+
+    it("Should not be able to downvote a segment if the user's only submission of that category was hidden", (done) => {
+        const UUID = "testing-interaction-skip-2";
+        postVote(hiddenInteractionSubmitter, UUID, 0)
+            .then(async res => {
+                assert.strictEqual(res.status, 200);
+                const row = await getSegmentVotes(UUID);
+                assert.strictEqual(row.votes, 0);
+                done();
+            })
+            .catch(err => done(err));
+    });
 });