diff --git a/blockchain/validate.go b/blockchain/validate.go
index 3648a31d..89dfbca7 100644
--- a/blockchain/validate.go
+++ b/blockchain/validate.go
@@ -400,6 +400,18 @@ func checkBlockHeaderSanity(header *wire.BlockHeader, timeSource MedianTimeSourc
 		return ruleError(ErrTimeTooNew, str)
 	}
 
+	// A block must not contain more votes than the minimum required to
+	// reach majority once stake validation height has been reached.
+	if header.Height >= uint32(chainParams.StakeValidationHeight) {
+		majority := (chainParams.TicketsPerBlock / 2) + 1
+		if header.Voters < majority {
+			errStr := fmt.Sprintf("block does not commit to enough "+
+				"votes (min: %d, got %d)", majority,
+				header.Voters)
+			return ruleError(ErrNotEnoughVotes, errStr)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -520,15 +532,6 @@ func checkBlockSanity(block *dcrutil.Block, timeSource MedianTimeSource, flags B
 		return ruleError(ErrFreshStakeMismatch, errStr)
 	}
 
-	// Not enough voters on this block.
-	if block.Height() >= chainParams.StakeValidationHeight &&
-		totalVotes <= int(chainParams.TicketsPerBlock)/2 {
-		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("block contained too few votes! %v "+
-			"votes but %v or more required", totalVotes,
-			(int(chainParams.TicketsPerBlock)/2)+1)
-		return ruleError(ErrNotEnoughVotes, errStr)
-	}
-
 	if totalVotes > int(chainParams.TicketsPerBlock) {
 		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("the number of SSGen tx in block %v "+
 			"was %v, overflowing the maximum allowed (%v)",
@@ -989,26 +992,6 @@ func (b *BlockChain) CheckBlockStakeSanity(stakeValidationHeight int64, node *bl
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// -------------------------------------------------------------------
-	// General Purpose Checks
-	// -------------------------------------------------------------------
-	// 1. Check that we have a majority vote of potential voters.
-
-	// 1. Check to make sure we have a majority of the potential voters voting.
-	if msgBlock.Header.Voters == 0 {
-		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("Error: no voters in block %v",
-			blockHash)
-		return ruleError(ErrNotEnoughVotes, errStr)
-	}
-
-	majority := (chainParams.TicketsPerBlock / 2) + 1
-	if msgBlock.Header.Voters < majority {
-		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("Error in stake consensus: the number "+
-			"of voters is not in the majority as compared to "+
-			"potential votes for block %v", blockHash)
-		return ruleError(ErrNotEnoughVotes, errStr)
-	}
-
 	// -------------------------------------------------------------------
 	// SSGen Tx Handling
 	// -------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/blockchain/validate_test.go b/blockchain/validate_test.go
index c1ccb3a1..cb8080fa 100644
--- a/blockchain/validate_test.go
+++ b/blockchain/validate_test.go
@@ -795,6 +795,7 @@ func TestBlockValidationRules(t *testing.T) {
 	notEnoughVotes154.FromBytes(block154Bytes)
 	notEnoughVotes154.STransactions = notEnoughVotes154.STransactions[0:2]
 	notEnoughVotes154.Header.FreshStake = 0
+	notEnoughVotes154.Header.Voters = 2
 	recalculateMsgBlockMerkleRootsSize(notEnoughVotes154)
 	b154test = dcrutil.NewBlock(notEnoughVotes154)