diff --git a/solana/programs/staking/src/error.rs b/solana/programs/staking/src/error.rs
index f1103a7a..e710e5c0 100644
--- a/solana/programs/staking/src/error.rs
+++ b/solana/programs/staking/src/error.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ pub enum ErrorCode {
     ExceedsMaxAllowableVoteWeightWindowLength,
     #[msg("Invalid next voter checkpoints")]
     InvalidNextVoterCheckpoints,
+    #[msg("Proposal inactive")]
+    ProposalInactive,
     #[msg("Other")]
     Other,
 }
diff --git a/solana/programs/staking/src/lib.rs b/solana/programs/staking/src/lib.rs
index 3a44a02d..d925087c 100644
--- a/solana/programs/staking/src/lib.rs
+++ b/solana/programs/staking/src/lib.rs
@@ -493,7 +493,9 @@ pub mod staking {
         let proposal = &mut ctx.accounts.proposal;
         let config = &ctx.accounts.config;
 
+        let current_timestamp: u64 = utils::clock::get_current_time().try_into()?;
         let vote_start = proposal.vote_start;
+        require!(current_timestamp > vote_start, ErrorCode::ProposalInactive);
 
         let (_, window_length) = find_window_length_le(
             &ctx.accounts.vote_weight_window_lengths.to_account_info(),
diff --git a/solana/tests/api_test.ts b/solana/tests/api_test.ts
index ca2b5240..217c0467 100644
--- a/solana/tests/api_test.ts
+++ b/solana/tests/api_test.ts
@@ -883,10 +883,58 @@ describe("api", async () => {
   });
 
   describe("castVote", () => {
+    it("should fail to castVote if proposal inactive", async () => {
+      await user6StakeConnection.delegate(
+        user6,
+        WHTokenBalance.fromString("50"),
+      );
+
+      let proposalIdInput = await addTestProposal(
+        user6StakeConnection,
+        Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 20,
+      );
+
+      let stakeAccountMetadataAddress =
+        await user6StakeConnection.getStakeMetadataAddress(
+          user6StakeConnection.userPublicKey(),
+        );
+      let previousStakeAccountCheckpointsAddress =
+        await user6StakeConnection.getStakeAccountCheckpointsAddressByMetadata(
+          stakeAccountMetadataAddress,
+          false,
+        );
+
+      const { proposalAccount } =
+        await user6StakeConnection.fetchProposalAccount(proposalIdInput);
+
+      try {
+        await user6StakeConnection.program.methods
+          .castVote(
+            Array.from(proposalIdInput),
+            new BN(10),
+            new BN(20),
+            new BN(12),
+            0,
+          )
+          .accountsPartial({
+            proposal: proposalAccount,
+            voterCheckpoints: previousStakeAccountCheckpointsAddress,
+            voterCheckpointsNext: null,
+          })
+          .rpc();
+
+        assert.fail("Expected an error but none was thrown");
+      } catch (e) {
+        assert(
+          (e as AnchorError).error?.errorCode?.code === "ProposalInactive",
+        );
+      }
+    });
+
     it("should fail to castVote if votes were added in the voteWeightWindow", async () => {
       await user6StakeConnection.delegate(
         user6,
-        WHTokenBalance.fromString("150"),
+        WHTokenBalance.fromString("100"),
       );
 
       // voteWeightWindow is 10s
@@ -894,6 +942,7 @@ describe("api", async () => {
         user6StakeConnection,
         Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 3,
       );
+      await sleep(4000);
 
       let stakeAccountMetadataAddress =
         await user6StakeConnection.getStakeMetadataAddress(
@@ -938,11 +987,16 @@ describe("api", async () => {
         WHTokenBalance.fromString("150"),
       );
 
+      let voteStart = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 12;
       let proposalIdInput = await addTestProposal(
         user3StakeConnection,
-        Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 12,
+        voteStart,
       );
 
+      while (voteStart >= Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)) {
+        await sleep(1000);
+      }
+      await sleep(1000);
       await user3StakeConnection.castVote(
         proposalIdInput,
         new BN(10),
@@ -977,6 +1031,7 @@ describe("api", async () => {
     it("should cast vote with the correct weight", async () => {
       let stakeAccountCheckpointsAddress;
       let proposalIdInput;
+      let voteStart;
 
       // Create 6 checkpoints, 1 second apart
       for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
@@ -988,15 +1043,20 @@ describe("api", async () => {
         // Create a proposal with a start time 10 seconds in the future in iteration 5
         // We do this because the vote weight window is 10 seconds
         if (i == 4) {
+          voteStart = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 10;
           proposalIdInput = await addTestProposal(
             user7StakeConnection,
-            Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 10,
+            voteStart,
           );
         }
 
         await sleep(1000);
       }
 
+      while (voteStart >= Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)) {
+        await sleep(1000);
+      }
+      await sleep(1000);
       await user7StakeConnection.castVote(
         proposalIdInput,
         new BN(10),
@@ -1012,7 +1072,6 @@ describe("api", async () => {
       assert.equal(againstVotes.toString(), "10");
       assert.equal(forVotes.toString(), "20");
       assert.equal(abstainVotes.toString(), "12");
-
     });
 
     it("should fail to castVote if next voter checkpoints are invalid", async () => {
@@ -1027,6 +1086,7 @@ describe("api", async () => {
         user4StakeConnection,
         voteStart,
       );
+
       const { proposalAccount } =
         await user4StakeConnection.fetchProposalAccount(proposalIdInput);
 
@@ -1038,6 +1098,10 @@ describe("api", async () => {
           WHTokenBalance.fromString("5"),
         );
       }
+      await sleep(5000);
+      while (voteStart >= Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)) {
+        await sleep(1000);
+      }
 
       let currentStakeAccountCheckpointsAddress =
         await user4StakeConnection.getStakeAccountCheckpointsAddress(
@@ -1102,8 +1166,9 @@ describe("api", async () => {
 
       let proposalIdInput = await addTestProposal(
         user4StakeConnection,
-        Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 12,
+        Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 11,
       );
+      await sleep(12000);
 
       const { proposalAccount } =
         await user4StakeConnection.fetchProposalAccount(proposalIdInput);
diff --git a/solana/tests/vesting.ts b/solana/tests/vesting.ts
index 5c3fd011..fe31e387 100644
--- a/solana/tests/vesting.ts
+++ b/solana/tests/vesting.ts
@@ -550,11 +550,11 @@ describe("vesting", () => {
 
     await stakeConnection.program.methods
       .initializeVestingConfig(seed2)
-        .accounts({
-          ...accounts,
-          config: config2,
-          vault: vault2,
-        })
+      .accounts({
+        ...accounts,
+        config: config2,
+        vault: vault2,
+      })
       .signers([whMintAuthority])
       .rpc()
       .then(confirm);
@@ -675,12 +675,12 @@ describe("vesting", () => {
   it("Create another matured vests", async () => {
     await stakeConnection.program.methods
       .createVesting(NOW, new BN(100e6))
-        .accounts({
-          ...accounts,
-          config: config2,
-          vestingBalance: vestingBalance2,
-          vest: vestNow2,
-        })
+      .accounts({
+        ...accounts,
+        config: config2,
+        vestingBalance: vestingBalance2,
+        vest: vestNow2,
+      })
       .signers([whMintAuthority])
       .rpc({
         skipPreflight: true,
@@ -1015,12 +1015,13 @@ describe("vesting", () => {
     );
 
     await sleep(2000);
-    let stakeAccountCheckpointsAddress = await vesterStakeConnection.delegateWithVest(
-      vesterStakeConnection.userPublicKey(),
-      WHTokenBalance.fromString("0"),
-      true,
-      config2,
-    );
+    let stakeAccountCheckpointsAddress =
+      await vesterStakeConnection.delegateWithVest(
+        vesterStakeConnection.userPublicKey(),
+        WHTokenBalance.fromString("0"),
+        true,
+        config2,
+      );
 
     let stakeAccountCheckpointsData =
       await vesterStakeConnection.program.account.checkpointData.fetch(