Ballot Selfie Lawsuit Settled

ballots-35
ballots-35

A settlement has been reached that allows voters to take a photograph of their own ballot but only while in the voting booth, known as the “ballot selfie.” Secretary of State spokesman Shawn Starkey says many other restrictions still exist.

“You cannot take a selfie either n the voting booth or anywhere within the area where people are voting. You can’t take any other type of photograph in the area people are voting, and while you can take a photo of your ballot, you can’t share that image within 100 feet of the polling place,” he explains.

Starkey says voters are allowed to take a photo of their own ballot. “They’re not allowed to take a selfie of themselves either in the voting booth or anywhere near where people are voting,” Starkey continued.

He stresses the agreement does not affect other prohibitions on photography in the area where voting is occurring. The settlement stems from a 2016 lawsuit by Joel Crookston of the Kalamazoo area, who argued the ban violated his First Amendment rights.