diff --git a/snow/consensus/snowball/tree.go b/snow/consensus/snowball/tree.go
index 50bb8a53fb25..18380f004b4b 100644
--- a/snow/consensus/snowball/tree.go
+++ b/snow/consensus/snowball/tree.go
@@ -412,11 +412,13 @@ func (u *unaryNode) RecordPoll(votes ids.Bag, reset bool) node {
 			// u.commonPrefix and u.child.DecidedPrefix() would always result in
 			// the same set being returned.
 
-			// If I'm now decided, return my child
+			newChild := u.child.RecordPoll(votes, u.shouldReset)
 			if u.Finalized() {
-				return u.child.RecordPoll(votes, u.shouldReset)
+				// If I'm now decided, return my child
+				return newChild
 			}
-			u.child = u.child.RecordPoll(votes, u.shouldReset)
+			u.child = newChild
+
 			// The child's preference may have changed
 			u.preference = u.child.Preference()
 		}
@@ -519,12 +521,12 @@ func (b *binaryNode) RecordPoll(votes ids.Bag, reset bool) node {
 			filteredVotes := prunedVotes.Filter(
 				b.bit+1, child.DecidedPrefix(), b.preferences[bit])
 
+			newChild := child.RecordPoll(filteredVotes, b.shouldReset[bit])
 			if b.snowball.Finalized() {
 				// If we are decided here, that means we must have decided due
 				// to this poll. Therefore, we must have decided on bit.
-				return child.RecordPoll(filteredVotes, b.shouldReset[bit])
+				return newChild
 			}
-			newChild := child.RecordPoll(filteredVotes, b.shouldReset[bit])
 			b.children[bit] = newChild
 			b.preferences[bit] = newChild.Preference()
 		}
diff --git a/snow/consensus/snowman/snowman_block.go b/snow/consensus/snowman/snowman_block.go
index 3187d0a0c0ff..a6e75a0120c8 100644
--- a/snow/consensus/snowman/snowman_block.go
+++ b/snow/consensus/snowman/snowman_block.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type snowmanBlock struct {
 	// less than Alpha votes
 	shouldFalter bool
 
-	// sb is the snowball instance used to decided which child is the canonical
+	// sb is the snowball instance used to decide which child is the canonical
 	// child of this block. If this node has not had a child issued under it,
 	// this value will be nil
 	sb snowball.Consensus