How about a selfie of you and your ballot?
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
Eugene, Oregon
October 24, 2016 9:09am CST
In my state of Oregon, I have mentioned that all voting is by mail. We received our ballots Saturday and will sit a the kitchen table (an American tradition) and fill them out today, then mail them or drop them off at special locked boxes around town. I probably will not take a photo of myself with my very "blue" ballot.
It is perfectly legal for me to photograph my ballot or do a selfie of me with it. But, in some 18 states, if you take a selfie in the voting booth (who would do that?) you are breaking the law! You could be fined or sent to jail. In California or Rhode Island it is legal and federal judges have voided laws restricting ballot selfies in New Hampshire and Indiana.
Since almost everyone has a cell phone camera, I wonder how many people are scofflaws and do those selfies in the booth?
22 people like this
23 responses
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
How strange. I think all those laws will be history in the future.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Oct 16
In France you are forced to go in a voting booth before voting, because a vote is supposed to be secret, but you can take obviously only 1 ballot paper before going in the booth. I do not know any case where a selfie inside a voting booth has been brought to a court. I suspect that it would be considered like legal, because there is no special law against selfies in voting booths
.
.2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458230)
• Switzerland
24 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic NO, it is forbidden, it is against the privacy, the vote must be kept private and nobody should know.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
Hmmm, are they using video in the booths?
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
Since the mid-eighties, when we voted in the by mail method, there has not been one problem reported that I am aware of. I mark my ballot, sign the enclosed privacy envelope, enclose the ballot in that, put the whole thing into the provided outer envelope and mail it or drop it off.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
25 Oct 16
we have postal votes here too although I've never done it.
2 people like this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32507)
• Calgary, Alberta
24 Oct 16
I think it wont be an issue as long as you wont upload it in the internet.
1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32507)
• Calgary, Alberta
24 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic I bet a lot of millennials wont care about the law and do it.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
I would not do it, but feel a law against it is silly.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
@CaptAlbertWhisker When I asked my wife "who would do that" she replied "Anyone under 30."
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
I am enjoying it a lot more lately since Trump has got both feet in his mouth now.
2 people like this
@sallypup (57914)
• Centralia, Washington
24 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic I just don't understand- the latest has that horrid Trump quote about aborting babies that are 8 months along. The Trump folks insist Clinton said it. Gag.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
@sallypup Ignorance,sexism and prejudice know no bounds. That "Christian" should maybe read the new testament. Trump is on his way to the dustbin, a fate he richly deserves.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205806)
• Walnut Creek, California
6 Nov 16
@JamesHxstatic Now I can tell all the people calling me to buzz off.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215481)
• Chile
24 Oct 16
I confess I´m not of the selfie culture. Most selfies are quite ugly. And as lately even normal pictures don´t come out as I would like, I am avoiding pictures.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
I am not a selfie taker either. My face needs the assistance of a good camera.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
25 Oct 16
I don't know much about your election.As matters stand,Hillary seems to win the election.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36451)
• Toccoa, Georgia
24 Oct 16
I just saw a headline about this very thing yesterday. A woman had taken a selfie of her and her ballot at the voting booth and the title of the story was, "did she break the law"? I honestly had never thought about taking a picture like that, but in this age of selfies, I can see why some would want to do it.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
Was that in your state or elsewhere?
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49010)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Perhaps all states should do it by mail. Sounds like a good idea.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
It works for Oregon and in California you can got to the polling place or mail it.
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Oct 16
I think it's just an issue of the laws not keeping up with the times. Do you remember when it was illegal to take photographs at live concerts (such as rock n roll concerts)? Security would take your camera and smash it into a millions pieces. Back then, they didn't want unauthorized photos in circulation. Nowadays, they WANT you to take photos at concerts, and post them all over your social media accounts. It's free publicity for the entertainer!
Not saying that voting is entertainment, but I can see how in the future they relax the laws on selfie bans inside the voting booths.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic Maybe we can create a national "voting booth selfie" movement. Sort of a peaceful protest on social media! lol
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Oct 16
I would certainly expect that to happen as well.
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
25 Oct 16
wow, i had no idea! and i also had no idea that oregon did all voting by mail. very interesting!
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
24 Oct 16
Here in Texas there was a lot of voter fraud from mail in ballots earlier this year @JamesHxstatic .
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
I read about that, but so far it looks as if it is alleged and not yet proven maybe?
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
25 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic They're talking about recounting the ballots.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Oct 16
I remember when people used to make fun of you if you took a picture of yourself. I still don't do that to this day. No selfies here!
1 person likes this
@marsha32 (6631)
• United States
24 Oct 16
That seems odd that the whole state votes by mail...odd indeed. And so early before voting day too.
Do they have anywhere where you can see who is winning by early votes?
Not that it matters as we are either going to Trump in a Handbasket or Hillary in a Handbasket. Neither gets my vote.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Oct 16
Yet one will win and it can't be Trump or we will be in real trouble.
@DesirousDreamer (34783)
• Peoria, Arizona
24 Oct 16
I wonder why it is against the law. It is not like it is an invasion of privacy if you are in a booth. If not it is actually helping prevent people who try to vote more than once.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Good to know! I was going to do that.
1 person likes this
