Ballot selfie

A ballot selfie is a type of selfie that is intended to depict the photographer's completed ballot in an election, as a way of showing how the photographer cast their vote. Ballot selfies have risen in prominence alongside the increasing availability of smartphone digital cameras and the use of social media in the 21st century. They have also generated controversy as potential violations of laws enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to curtail vote buying, particularly in the United States, although some U.S. courts have rejected restrictions on ballot selfies as inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech.

Voters typically take and share ballot selfies to encourage others to vote, to demonstrate their civic involvement, and to express their choice of candidate. The selfie is often taken in or near a voting booth and the ballot paper is often marked. Others do not take pictures of themselves in the voting booth, but photograph their ballots (including absentee ballots) or the voting machines, either before or after filling them out.

Several concerns have arisen over ballot selfies, typically focused on issues of ballot secrecy, voter fraud, and voter intimidation. These have led to laws prohibiting or restricting ballot selfies in some places, or the application or revision of existing laws to cover the practice, although enforcement has not been widespread in U.S. jurisdictions. Some authorities have indicated that prosecution would be unlikely unless there was some indication that the photograph was associated with voter fraud or intimidation or a vote-buying scheme.

Laws regarding ballot selfies vary by country and jurisdiction, often with laws varying by jurisdiction even within a country.

Brazil's election laws ensure the secrecy of the vote; therefore, taking any photos of the voting machine (or, for that matter, using any electronic device while voting) is a crime subject to prison and a fine of up to R$15 thousand.

Elections Canada has encouraged voters to take selfies outside polling stations but cautioned against photos of marked ballots, as the Canada Elections Act makes it illegal to "show [a] ballot, when marked".

In federal elections for the Bundestag, taking a ballot selfie in the voting booth was prohibited in 2017 to preserve ballot secrecy and make vote buying and voter intimidation more difficult. If the voting commission notices a voter taking a ballot selfie, the ballot paper is not accepted. The voter will then be given a new ballot paper on request after destroying the old one.

In the Republic of Ireland, laws regarding the secret ballot are strict: one government website warns that "if you take selfies or post pictures online that reveal who you, or someone else, voted for, you could be prosecuted." The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications warns that "taking photographs and the sharing of any photograph of a ballot paper marked at an election or a referendum could have the potential to compromise the integrity and secrecy of a ballot and may constitute an offence." Therefore, one could void one's vote, and/or receive a fine.