diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/FollowerState.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/FollowerState.java
index fa61e90883..1be160f182 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/FollowerState.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/FollowerState.java
@@ -133,6 +133,14 @@ public  void run() {
     }
   }
 
+  private boolean roleChangeChecking(TimeDuration electionTimeout) {
+    return outstandingOp.get() == 0
+            && isRunning && server.getInfo().isFollower()
+            && lastRpcTime.elapsedTime().compareTo(electionTimeout) >= 0
+            && !lostMajorityHeartbeatsRecently()
+            && server.isRunning();
+  }
+
   private void runImpl() {
     final TimeDuration sleepDeviationThreshold = server.getSleepDeviationThreshold();
     while (shouldRun()) {
@@ -149,10 +157,7 @@ private void runImpl() {
           break;
         }
         synchronized (server) {
-          if (outstandingOp.get() == 0
-              && isRunning && server.getInfo().isFollower()
-              && lastRpcTime.elapsedTime().compareTo(electionTimeout) >= 0
-              && !lostMajorityHeartbeatsRecently()) {
+          if (roleChangeChecking(electionTimeout)) {
             LOG.info("{}: change to CANDIDATE, lastRpcElapsedTime:{}, electionTimeout:{}",
                 this, lastRpcTime.elapsedTime(), electionTimeout);
             server.getLeaderElectionMetrics().onLeaderElectionTimeout(); // Update timeout metric counters.
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/LeaderElection.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/LeaderElection.java
index a5bfba7bec..4badd09cd1 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/LeaderElection.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/LeaderElection.java
@@ -253,10 +253,6 @@ private void runImpl() {
     }
 
     try (AutoCloseable ignored = Timekeeper.start(server.getLeaderElectionMetrics().getLeaderElectionTimer())) {
-      if (!server.isRunning()) {
-        LOG.info("{}: skip since the server is not running", this);
-        return;
-      }
       for (int round = 0; shouldRun(); round++) {
         if (skipPreVote || askForVotes(Phase.PRE_VOTE, round)) {
           if (askForVotes(Phase.ELECTION, round)) {