An explicit start date in the anime's record can either override everything or be the last resort test. I'd prefer the latter, and despite knowing that I'm probably alone in this opinion, my logic places this test last. Move it to first if you like.
The algorithm follows; stop as soon as you are told that voting is allowed or disallowed:
- Permanent voting: if total number of episodes is not known, go to 5.
- If episode (permanent: <episode count> | temporary: 1) has no entry in the database, go to 5.
- If the episode has a release date: voting is allowed if it has passed and disallowed if not.
- If the episode has any (real, not generic) files...
- ...and all of them have release dates: voting is allowed if any of them have passed, disallowed if none have.
- Otherwise, voting is allowed.
- If anime has (permanent: end | temporary: start) date and this has passed, allow voting.
- Disallow voting.