diff --git a/daemons/attrd/attrd_elections.c b/daemons/attrd/attrd_elections.c
index a7816a9c59..025dae5570 100644
--- a/daemons/attrd/attrd_elections.c
+++ b/daemons/attrd/attrd_elections.c
@@ -1,154 +1,154 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2013-2019 Andrew Beekhof <andrew@beekhof.net>
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2
  * or later (GPLv2+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <crm_internal.h>
 #include <crm/msg_xml.h>
 #include <crm/cluster.h>
 #include <crm/cluster/election.h>
 
 #include "pacemaker-attrd.h"
 
 static char *peer_writer = NULL;
 static election_t *writer = NULL;
 
 void
 attrd_election_init()
 {
     writer = election_init(T_ATTRD, attrd_cluster->uname, 120000,
                            attrd_election_cb);
 }
 
 void
 attrd_election_fini()
 {
     election_fini(writer);
 }
 
 void
 attrd_start_election_if_needed()
 {
     if ((peer_writer == NULL)
         && (election_state(writer) != election_in_progress)
         && !attrd_shutting_down()) {
 
         crm_info("Starting an election to determine the writer");
         election_vote(writer);
     }
 }
 
 bool
 attrd_election_won()
 {
     return (election_state(writer) == election_won);
 }
 
 void
 attrd_handle_election_op(const crm_node_t *peer, xmlNode *xml)
 {
     enum election_result rc = 0;
     enum election_result previous = election_state(writer);
 
     crm_xml_add(xml, F_CRM_HOST_FROM, peer->uname);
 
     // Don't become writer if we're shutting down
     rc = election_count_vote(writer, xml, !attrd_shutting_down());
 
     switch(rc) {
         case election_start:
-            free(peer_writer);
-            peer_writer = NULL;
             crm_debug("Unsetting writer (was %s) and starting new election",
                       peer_writer? peer_writer : "unset");
+            free(peer_writer);
+            peer_writer = NULL;
             election_vote(writer);
             break;
 
         case election_lost:
             /* The election API should really distinguish between "we just lost
              * to this peer" and "we already lost previously, and we are
              * discarding this vote for some reason", but it doesn't.
              *
              * In the first case, we want to tentatively set the peer writer to
              * this peer, even though another peer may eventually win (which we
              * will learn via attrd_check_for_new_writer()), so
              * attrd_start_election_if_needed() doesn't start a new election.
              *
              * Approximate a test for that case as best as possible.
              */
             if ((peer_writer == NULL) || (previous != election_lost)) {
                 free(peer_writer);
                 peer_writer = strdup(peer->uname);
                 crm_debug("Election lost, presuming %s is writer for now",
                           peer_writer);
             }
             break;
 
         case election_in_progress:
             election_check(writer);
             break;
 
         default:
             crm_info("Ignoring election op from %s due to error", peer->uname);
             break;
     }
 }
 
 bool
 attrd_check_for_new_writer(const crm_node_t *peer, const xmlNode *xml)
 {
     int peer_state = 0;
 
     crm_element_value_int(xml, F_ATTRD_WRITER, &peer_state);
     if (peer_state == election_won) {
         if ((election_state(writer) == election_won)
            && safe_str_neq(peer->uname, attrd_cluster->uname)) {
             crm_notice("Detected another attribute writer (%s), starting new election",
                        peer->uname);
             election_vote(writer);
 
         } else if (safe_str_neq(peer->uname, peer_writer)) {
             crm_notice("Recorded new attribute writer: %s (was %s)",
                        peer->uname, (peer_writer? peer_writer : "unset"));
             free(peer_writer);
             peer_writer = strdup(peer->uname);
         }
     }
     return (peer_state == election_won);
 }
 
 void
 attrd_declare_winner()
 {
     crm_notice("Recorded local node as attribute writer (was %s)",
                (peer_writer? peer_writer : "unset"));
     free(peer_writer);
     peer_writer = strdup(attrd_cluster->uname);
 }
 
 void
 attrd_remove_voter(const crm_node_t *peer)
 {
     election_remove(writer, peer->uname);
     if (peer_writer && safe_str_eq(peer->uname, peer_writer)) {
         free(peer_writer);
         peer_writer = NULL;
         crm_notice("Lost attribute writer %s", peer->uname);
 
         /* If the writer received attribute updates during its shutdown, it will
          * not have written them to the CIB. Ensure we get a new writer so they
          * are written out. This means that every node that sees the writer
          * leave will start a new election, but that's better than losing
          * attributes.
          */
         attrd_start_election_if_needed();
     }
 }
 
 void
 attrd_xml_add_writer(xmlNode *xml)
 {
     crm_xml_add_int(xml, F_ATTRD_WRITER, election_state(writer));
 }