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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsProPublica: 'Why It May Be Illegal to Instagram Your Ballot'
Proud voters are already posting photos of their ballots on Instagramsometimes with the names of their chosen candidates filled in. But before you snap a shot of your vote, you might want to check your state laws. As the Citizen Media Law Project points out as part of their guide to documenting the 2012 election, showing your marked ballot to other people is actually illegal in many states.
Laws against displaying your ballot are motivated by concerns about vote buying, since voters being bribed might need to be prove they voted a certain way.
... Its illegal to display your voted ballot and violators could be convicted of a misdemeanor, Colorado secretary of state spokesman Richard Coolidge told ProPublica. The penalty, according to Colorado law: a fine of not more than $1000, imprisonment in county jail for not more than one year or both.
In Michigan and Hawaii, voters who show their ballots to other people can, in certain circumstances, have their votes thrown out.
Its not clear how these rules apply to sharing a picture of your ballot on the Internet, or whether states would actually prosecute voters for an Instagram shot. Officials from Michigan and Hawaii have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Read more: http://www.propublica.org/article/why-it-may-be-illegal-to-instagram-your-ballot
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)How do they know that I took a pic of my ballot before I scanned it into the machine?
How can they void it after I post it online several days later?
More Snopes-ish BS IMHO
cui bono
(19,926 posts)have their votes thrown out."
From the article.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)Not to post on Facebook or anything, but just to verify to myself that yes, I did indeed mark Obama on my ballot. I'm always paranoid that somehow I marked the wrong name when voting.
However, after quadruple checking, I felt reasonably confident and didnt' feel the need to photo it.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)I volunteered for an organization that worked with traumatic brain injury victims. During an election we would go with any interested people and act as readers. We would read the ballot options to the person and they would mark the ballot. If they were unable to mark the ballot we could do it with their permission.
We had to sign affidavits each time we brought someone in.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)alc
(1,151 posts)He probably wishes he'd thought of recommending it in his email encouraging employees not to vote Obama. He and the Kochs will probably fight to make it legal for the next election wherever states prohibit it.
* On my machine, I would have been able to back up and change my choice after taking the pic for my employer. But employees who wouldn't have voted except their employer wanted it would probably just hit "finish". And others may worry or have concerns about doing that (some people would consider it lying and wouldn't want to)
Matariki
(18,775 posts)My state has gone to all mail in ballots, which could open the door to vote buying.