It's still not OK to take a selfie while voting in some states

Don't get in trouble on Election Day

On this Election Day, please don't be a Justin Timberlake. 

If you don't remember, Timberlake took a selfie in a voting booth when he voting in the 2016 election in Germantown, Tennessee, which is highly prohibited in the state of Tennessee. Taking a ballot selfie in the Volunteer State is a misdemeanor violation, and the penalty could include up to 30 days in jail and a $50 fine. 

Timberlake posted a selfie on Instagram Sunday with his completed absentee ballot with a friendly reminder of "NO voting selfies." 

 

Tennessee is not the only state that has strict laws about taking photos while voting -- 17 other states have laws that prohibit selfies in the voting booth or even taking photos at polling places. 

Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia all have some sort of law about no photos at polling places on Election Day. 

Other states will allow you to take a selfie at your polling place, but you can't do it with your completed ballot in the photo. 

For instance, in the state of Mississippi, there are no laws that prohibit a person from taking a photo at the polling place, but there is a law that prohibits a person from showing others their completed ballot. So basically, don't take a selfie with your ballot and you're good to go. 

Alaska, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and Vermont allow selfies, but not with a completed ballot. 

The rest of the states in our great nation have pretty loose laws when it comes to taking photos at voting places. Basically, if you're respectful of other people voting and don't cause any kind of disturbance, then selfie away. 

Some states like California and Colorado have even passed laws that encourage taking selfies and sharing your voting results. 

In California, the state amended its law to clarify that "a voter may voluntarily disclose how he or she voted if that voluntary act does not violate any other law." And in Colorado, its governor signed a "ballot selfie bill" in 2017 that eliminated the penalty for taking a selfie while voting. 

So wherever you are voting on Tuesday, Nov. 6, maybe just wait till you're back in your car or far from the polling place to take a proud selfie with your voting sticker. 


About the Author:

Jack is a Digital Content Editor with a degree in creative writing and French from Western Michigan University. He specializes in writing about movies, food and the latest TV shows.