No Ballot Selfies at the Polls

Looking at taking a ballot selfie to tell the world how you voted? Don't even think about it. Regardless of whether you're in Illinois or Iowa.

According to WQAD, Illinois has some of the strictest laws in the country when it comes to taking a selfie with your ballot. Simply, voting is secret, and anybody in Illinois who votes in a way where that vote can be observed by another is guilty of a Class 4 felony. That includes pictures. That's the least serious felony, but it can still put you in jail.

Iowa doesn't allow photos in the voting booth either. In 2016 Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told The Gazette, “Our challenge as elections officials is to encourage participation but also to maintain the integrity of our elections process. As much as we want to encourage enthusiastic voters, we need to remind them to refrain from taking photos of their ballots until we revisit and update Iowa law.” That law hasn't been updated.

I guess my question is why would you want to take a photo of your ballot? I guess I can see taking a picture for your own personal record. Or if there was some issue in the booth. But taking that picture and putting it on Facebook? My friends and family who know me probably already have a good idea of who I'm voting for. Those who don't, probably don't need to know that information anyway.

Isn't a smiling selfie back in the car with the "I voted" sticker really enough?