If I've already shorted a stock, without pre-borrow, is there any way to cover without returning the shares so I can short the same shares again later in the day without having to gamble on getting another locate?
You get to use the locates all day if you located for them What broker are you talking about? If its ETB at your broker you shouldn't have a problem re-shorting
when answering a basic question don't use acronyms. It makes you look pompous. As the original question etb stands for easy to borrow. True for most brokers but not all. Call customer service for firm policy.
Not really as there is no guarantee you will trade and thus first come first serve unless you do a pre-borrow. If charges are GC which is essentially ETB (General Collateral/Easy to Borrow) there should be no issues. The rate charged is a good indication on level of availability. Of course say you're trading a MEME stock with little inventory, any availability will often be utilized quickly.
The question is listed in the forum section called "Company Specific/Interactive Brokers". That should have answered your question.