THE ISSUE:
Posting ballot selfies: Personal choice or illegal act?
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — You probably already know whether you'll vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton on Election Day, leaving one important question to consider when you walk into your polling place: Is it OK to take a picture of your ballot?
While secrecy in the voting booth has become a thing of the past for those ready to share their views and daily lives on social media, laws nationwide are mixed on whether voters are allowed to take pictures of themselves in the act or of their ballots — "ballot selfies".
Federal judges have struck down bans on selfies in New Hampshire and Indiana, and rules have been changed in places like California and Rhode Island, but in many states it's still a violation that carries potential fines or jail terms.
There are laws against sharing any photo of your ballot in 18 states, while six other states bar photography in polling places but do allow photos of mail-in ballots.
Critics say such regulations have not kept up with technology and are confusing for voters and election workers. Some states that ban ballot selfies or have moved to block them cite concerns the photos could harm the integrity of the voting process by encouraging vote-buying or coercion, though some acknowledge there's no evidence to support those fears.
Student Reactions
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Callie Johnson, a senior math and Japanese major "If you can take a picture outside of the actual ballot box and not disrupt the process of other people voting. I think that's probably better. Whats the different between taking a picture inside versus taking a picture outside.That's perfectly fine and then you can post it to social media wherever you want." |
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Marquis Parks, a freshman animal science major
I feel like we should be able to take pictures. I don't think there is a problem behind it and it doesn't affect anything in my perspective." |
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Ethan Summers, a freshman accounting major
"I don't think it's needed. Why take a selfie while you are in there? It's kind of like a private thing. If you want to tell people who you voted for go tell them." |
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Jasmine Ramos, a sophomore elementary education major
"I don't think it's an issue as long as you aren't taking pictures of someones ballot. If you have consent from people to take their photos I think it's an okay thing because I think it sort of promotes voting. It gets that image around." |
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