Are Ballot Selfies Legal in Minnesota or Wisconsin?
Tomorrow is election day in America, and while many people have already voted, many will head to the polls to cast their vote, but can you legally take a photo of it?
Well, the answer is different in each state regarding "ballot selfies" and you might want to be aware before you post that photo on social media sites.
In Minnesota, it is NOT illegal, but highly discouraged. According to the Secretary of States Office, "There is no law that strictly prohibits taking photos or videos in the polling place to record your own voting experience. However, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State discourages this activity."
Minnesota gives a few reasons, one being time, it could be very busy on election day, so having people stop the process to take photos slows everything down, second, privacy concerns, they don't want photos or video of others being taken, and could lead to an unneeded altercation, third, "Minnesota Statutes 204C.17 and Minnesota Statutes 204C.18 prohibit voters from showing their marked ballot to others," so taking a photo and sharing with others could get you in legal trouble.
In Wisconsin, it IS illegal if a voter "Shows his or her marked ballot to any person or places a mark upon the ballot so it is identifiable as his or her ballot." So basically you're probably good to take it, but like Minnesota, you can't share or show that photo to anyone without breaking the law.
Wisconsin did try to change this, but apparently it didn't get approval by the state Assembly, as I can find no other information about this bill.
So it's best if you just get in, vote and leave. Don't waste time taking a photo, if you feel the need to share whom you voted for, find a better way to do it.
10 Very Common Stereotypes About Wisconsin