diff --git a/src/components/MeritSummaryCard.svelte b/src/components/MeritSummaryCard.svelte
index 66a87db..a49f2be 100644
--- a/src/components/MeritSummaryCard.svelte
+++ b/src/components/MeritSummaryCard.svelte
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@
 
 	import { Separator } from '$lib/components/ui/separator/index.js';
 	import * as Table from '@/components/ui/table';
-	import { RocketATagFilter } from '@/event_helpers/rockets';
+	import { Rocket, RocketATagFilter } from '@/event_helpers/rockets';
 	import { derived } from 'svelte/store';
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { base } from '$app/paths';
 	import { unixToRelativeTime } from '@/helpers';
+	import RocketCard from './RocketCard.svelte';
 
 	export let merit: MeritRequest;
 	export let rocket: NDKEvent;
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
 		let vMap = new Map<string, Vote>();
 		for (let v of $_votes) {
 			let vote = new Vote(v);
-			if (vote.BasicValidation()) {
+			if (vote.BasicValidation() && vote.ValidateAgainstRocket(new Rocket(rocket))) {
 				vMap.set(vote.ID, vote);
 			}
 		}
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@
 									console.log(vote.Event.rawEvent());
 									goto(`${base}/rockets/merits/${vote.ID}`);
 								}}
-								class="cursor-pointer {vote.VoteDirection == "ratify"?"bg-lime-600":"bg-red-700"} "
+								class="cursor-pointer {vote.VoteDirection == "ratify"?"bg-lime-600":"bg-red-700"} {vote.VoteDirection == "ratify"?"hover:bg-lime-700":"hover:bg-red-800"}"
 							>
 								<Table.Cell>
 									<div class="flex flex-nowrap">
@@ -135,6 +136,6 @@
 		>
 	</Card.Header>
 	<Card.Footer class="flex flex-row items-center border-t px-6 py-3">
-		<VoteOnMeritRequest {merit} {rocket} />
+		<VoteOnMeritRequest {merit} rocket={new Rocket(rocket)} />
 	</Card.Footer>
 </Card.Root>
diff --git a/src/components/VoteOnMeritRequest.svelte b/src/components/VoteOnMeritRequest.svelte
index 2887ba9..d32c184 100644
--- a/src/components/VoteOnMeritRequest.svelte
+++ b/src/components/VoteOnMeritRequest.svelte
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 	import { MeritRequest } from '@/event_helpers/merits';
+	import type { Rocket } from '@/event_helpers/rockets';
+	import { ndk } from '@/ndk';
 	import { currentUser } from '@/stores/session';
 	import { NDKEvent } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
 	import type NDKSvelte from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk-svelte';
+	import { Name } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk-svelte-components';
 	import Login from './Login.svelte';
-	import { ndk } from '@/ndk';
 
 	export let merit: MeritRequest;
-	export let rocket: NDKEvent;
+	export let rocket: Rocket;
 
 	function publish(ndk: NDKSvelte, direction: string) {
 		if (!ndk.signer) {
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@
 		e.author = author;
 		e.kind = 1410;
 		e.created_at = Math.floor(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
-		e.tags.push(['a', `31108:${rocket.pubkey}:${rocket.dTag}`]);
+		e.tags.push(['a', `31108:${rocket.Event.pubkey}:${rocket.Event.dTag}`]);
 		e.tags.push(['request', merit.ID]);
 		e.tags.push(['e', merit.ID]);
 		e.tags.push(['p', merit.Pubkey]);
@@ -32,6 +34,16 @@
 			console.log(x);
 		});
 	}
+
+	$:currentUserHasVotepower = false;
+
+	$:{
+		if (currentUser && $currentUser) {
+			currentUserHasVotepower = (rocket.VotePowerForPubkey($currentUser.pubkey) > 0)
+		}
+	}
+
+	
 </script>
 
 {#if $currentUser}
@@ -39,14 +51,23 @@
 		variant="default"
 		class="m-2"
 		on:click={() => {
-			publish($ndk, 'ratify');
+			if (currentUserHasVotepower) {
+				publish($ndk, 'ratify');
+			} else {
+				alert(`Your pubkey does not have votepower in ${rocket.Name()}`)
+			}
+			
 		}}>Vote to Approve</Button
 	>
 	<Button
 		variant="destructive"
 		class="m-2"
 		on:click={() => {
-			publish($ndk, 'ratify');
+						if (currentUserHasVotepower) {
+				publish($ndk, 'blackball');
+			} else {
+				alert(`Your pubkey does not have votepower in ${rocket.Name()}`)
+			}
 		}}>Vote to Reject</Button
 	>
 {:else}
diff --git a/src/lib/event_helpers/merits.ts b/src/lib/event_helpers/merits.ts
index 8af738a..3c5a0ee 100644
--- a/src/lib/event_helpers/merits.ts
+++ b/src/lib/event_helpers/merits.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { NDKEvent, NDKFilter, NDKTag } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
-import { getNumberFromTag, isValidUrl } from './rockets';
+import { Rocket, getNumberFromTag, isValidUrl } from './rockets';
 
 export class MeritRequest {
 	ID: string;
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export class MeritRequest {
 		}
 		return _solution;
 	}
-	IncludedInRocketState(rocket: NDKEvent): boolean {
+	IncludedInRocketState(rocket: Rocket): boolean {
 		return true;
 	}
 	BasicValidation(): boolean {
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ export class Vote {
 		}
 		return valid;
 	}
+    ValidateAgainstRocket(rocket:Rocket):boolean {
+        let valid = true;
+        if (!(rocket.VotePowerForPubkey(this.Pubkey) > 0)) {
+            valid = false
+        }
+        return valid
+    }
 	RocketTag(): NDKTag | undefined {
 		let tag: NDKTag | undefined = undefined;
 		if (this.BasicValidation()) {
diff --git a/src/lib/event_helpers/rockets.ts b/src/lib/event_helpers/rockets.ts
index 6a77e9c..6604f53 100644
--- a/src/lib/event_helpers/rockets.ts
+++ b/src/lib/event_helpers/rockets.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,22 @@
-import { NDKEvent, type NDKFilter, type NDKTag } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
+import { NDKEvent, type NDKTag } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
+
+export class Rocket {
+	Event: NDKEvent;
+	Name():string {
+		return this.Event.dTag!
+	}
+	VotePowerForPubkey(pubkey:string):number {
+		let votepower = 0
+		if (this.Event.pubkey == pubkey) {
+			//todo: calculate votepower for pubkey based on approved merit requests
+			votepower++
+		}
+		return votepower
+	}
+	constructor(event:NDKEvent) {
+		this.Event = event;
+	}
+}
 
 export class RocketProduct {
 	ID: string;