# Vote Locking

In order to vote on any proposal on Convex, you must lock your **CVX** tokens for a fixed time period(a minimum of 16 weeks). Locked tokens will be inaccessible until 16 full epochs have passed.

* If you lock immediately before a new epoch starts, your **CVX** will be locked approximately 16 weeks.
* If you lock in the middle of an existing epoch, your **CVX** will be locked for 16 weeks + the time between your lock and the next epoch start.

Locks are grouped into weekly  "epochs" which start on Thursday at 00:00 UTC. Deposits during the current epoch do not count towards currently active vote weight. **CVX** must be locked in a completed epoch prior to a vote starting in order to participate.

{% content-ref url="/pages/-MiaTRTu8SXkMg-NvG6V" %}
[Vote Locking CVX](/convexfinance/guides/depositing/vote-locking-cvx.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

**CVX** tokens are automatically unlocked after 16 full epochs have passed

* Unlocked **CVX** will sit idle in the [locker contract](https://etherscan.io/address/0xD18140b4B819b895A3dba5442F959fA44994AF50) until withdrawn by the user
* Unlocked tokens sitting in the locker contract have the option to Re-lock. Tokens locked in this manner will have vote weight allocated to the **current epoch** rather than the following epoch.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**CVX** tokens that sit idle longer than 4 epochs are subject to bounty from other users
{% endhint %}

Other users may kick idle **CVX** out of the locker contract and take a 0.25% bounty per epoch past the 4-epoch grace period. Each separate lock is subject to it's own grace period.

* *Example*: 400 **CVX** tokens idle for 5 weeks may be kicked out of the locker contract, and the caller would get 1 **CVX** token. Original user is left with 399 **CVX** tokens.
* *Example*: 400 **CVX** tokens idle for 6 weeks may be kicked out of the locker contract, and the caller would get 2 **CVX** tokens. Original user is left with 398 **CVX** tokens.

Vote-locked **CVX** tokens accrue rewards. Locked **CVX** earn a share of protocol fees. Check[Fees](/convexfinance/faq/fees.md) section for info on fees vote-locked **CVX** receive.


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