Summary: Find your state on this list to find out if you need to remove your selfie taken at the voting booth today before getting in trouble with the law.
Be careful before you snap a selfie with your voters’ ballot. In some states, it is illegal to take selfies at the polls on Election Day. Refresh yourself with your state’s laws to make sure you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law for something so silly.
The laws in four states have been challenged recently. In Colorado a federal judge ruled that banning ballot selfies was not legal. Michigan, California, and New York are still going back and forth in the courts to determine if it is legal or not to take ballot selfies.
States where you can take ballot selfies:
- Hawaii
- Washington
- Oregon
- Idaho
- Montana
- Utah
- Wyoming
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Louisiana
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
States where ballot selfies are not allowed:
- Alaska
- California
- Nevada
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- South Dakota
- Kansas
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Florida
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- New York
- New Jersey
- Massachusetts
States where the law is unclear:
- Arizona
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Arkansas
- Tennessee
- Ohio
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- Maryland
- Delaware
So what exactly is the punishment for posting a ballot selfie to social media in states where it is illegal? Well, it depends on the state. For some, their ballot may be nullified. In other states it can be a $1000 fine and jail time. So unless you don’t care about paying a fine, going to jail, or having your votes not count, it may be best to keep our ballot selfie to yourself.
Did you take a selfie at the voting booth today? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about other stupid laws, read these articles:
11 of the Weirdest Laws on the Books in the US
Photo: flickr.com