Ballot selfies? This is what could happen if you take a photo with your ballot in Texas
The 2024 presidential election is set to be one of the most historical ever, and some voters are hoping to share their participation with a ballot selfie.
However, posting a completed ballot on social media is illegal in some states, though some First Amendment advocates believe such restrictions violate free speech rights.
Ballot selfies became a controversial topic in 2016 when singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake traveled from California to Tennessee to vote.
Afterward, he uploaded a photo of himself at the polls to Instagram, drawing questions about whether he broke the election law.
Here is what Texas laws say about photography at voting sites.
Can I take a selfie with my ballot at a Texas voting site?
Ballot selfies are Illegal in Texas according to the state’s Election Code, which prohibits wireless communication and recording equipment within 100 feet of a voting site.
But the code doesn’t outline any penalties for those who violate the ban. It only says that “the presiding judge may require a person who violates this section to turn off the device or to leave the polling place.”
What do other states say about ballot photos?
Ballot selfies are allowed in 25 states as of September 2024, according to Ballotpedia.
Four states—Arizona, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas—only allow them for mail-in or absentee ballots.
Taking a photo of a ballot continues to be illegal in 16 states and it is unclear whether the practice is acceptable in six others, Ballotpedia said.
