PRIORITIES: Wisconsin State Senate Approves Bill to Legalize Ballot Selfies

A bill to legalize ballot selfies has been approved by the Wisconsin State Senate.

Supporters of the bill argue that since people are doing it anyways, they may as well legalize it. 

Taking photos of your completed ballot is banned in 18 states, though the law is not regularly enforced.

“The measure’s supporters call the ban archaic, especially in an era in which voters are increasingly posting pictures of themselves with their marked ballots on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. But county election clerks warned last year that changing the law could open the door to undoing the secrecy of the ballot,” CBS reports.

The Wisconsin County Clerk Association is arguing against the bill, claiming that it could lead to employers and unions forcing people to prove who they voted for to avoid being punished.

CBS additionally reported that “court rulings on ballot selfies have been mixed across the country after several cases sprung up from the 2016 presidential elections. Courts in New Hampshire and Indiana found that laws in those states prohibiting ballot selfies were unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case out of New Hampshire after that state’s law was found to be unconstitutional.”

Bans on ballot selfies have been upheld in New York and Michigan.