diff --git a/bigchaindb/core.py b/bigchaindb/core.py
index 2e4823e0..39575bbc 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/core.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/core.py
@@ -476,16 +476,22 @@ class Bigchain(object):
 
         return unvoted
 
-    def block_voted_invalid(self, block):
+    def block_election_status(self, block):
         """
-        Checks if block has enough invalid votes to make a decision
+        Tallies the votes on a block, and returns the status: valid, invalid, or undecided
         """
         n_voters = len(block['block']['voters'])
 
         vote_list = [vote['vote']['is_block_valid'] for vote in block['block']['votes']]
 
+        # validate votes here
+
         n_invalid_votes = vote_list.count(False)
+        n_valid_votes = vote_list.count(True)
+
         if n_invalid_votes >= int(n_voters/2):
-            return True
+            return 'invalid'
+        elif n_valid_votes > int(n_voters/2):
+            return 'valid'
         else:
-            return False
+            return 'undecided'
diff --git a/bigchaindb/voter.py b/bigchaindb/voter.py
index 1fba5622..a5d2671f 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/voter.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/voter.py
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class Election(object):
                 logger.info('clean exit')
                 return
 
-            if b.block_voted_invalid(next_block):
+            if b.block_election_status(next_block) == 'invalid':
                 self.q_invalid_blocks.put(next_block)
 
     def requeue_transactions(self):
diff --git a/tests/db/test_voter.py b/tests/db/test_voter.py
index fd9c5716..8180c133 100644
--- a/tests/db/test_voter.py
+++ b/tests/db/test_voter.py
@@ -314,15 +314,19 @@ class TestBlockElection(object):
 
         # test unanimously valid block
         test_block['block']['votes'] = [valid_vote, valid_vote, valid_vote, valid_vote]
-        assert not b.block_voted_invalid(test_block)
+        assert b.block_election_status(test_block) == 'valid'
 
         # test block with minority invalid vote
         test_block['block']['votes'] = [invalid_vote, valid_vote, valid_vote, valid_vote]
-        assert not b.block_voted_invalid(test_block)
+        assert b.block_election_status(test_block) == 'valid'
 
-        # test split vote -- block_voted_invalid should return True
+        # test split vote
         test_block['block']['votes'] = [invalid_vote, invalid_vote, valid_vote, valid_vote]
-        assert b.block_voted_invalid(test_block)
+        assert b.block_election_status(test_block) == 'invalid'
+
+        # test undecided
+        test_block['block']['votes'] = [valid_vote, valid_vote]
+        assert b.block_election_status(test_block) == 'undecided'
 
     def test_tx_rewritten_after_invalid(self, b, user_public_key):
         q_block_new_vote = mp.Queue()