Donald Trump's son Eric takes a ballot selfie illegally [Plus list of states allowing ballot selfie]
Donald Trump's son Eric Trump has tweeted the image of his ballot filled out with a vote for his father. However, voter watchdog group Electionland called out Eric on Twitter, reminding him that it's illegal to do a ballot selfie.
“A quick reminder to other New York voters: This is actually illegal. Please do not post a picture of your ballot (or a ballot selfie),” Electionland tweeted. The post came with a link to Eric's tweet.
A quick reminder to other New York voters: This is actually illegal. Please do not post a picture of your ballot (or a ballot selfie). https://t.co/zOlnCHwVB8
— Electionland (@electionland) November 8, 2016
It is illegal in New York state to post a picture of a completed ballot. It is misdemeanour and punishable by the state's law with a maximum penalty of US$1,000 fine (AU$1,291) or one year in jail.
The photo that was deleted from Eric's Twitter feed came with a note saying, “It is an incredible honor to vote for my father! He will do such a great job for the U.S.A! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain.”
Although Eric deleted the tweet, it was already retweeted more than 900 times.
Early this year, Justin Timberlake faced a similar issue when he shared a photo of himself at voting booth encouraging his fans to vote. Local officials warned Justin on his violation and decided not to review the case.
Last week, the request to temporarily suspend the law to allow ballot selfies in the state was rejected by the federal judge in New York. The request came from the voters in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The judge rejected the request as it may cause delays and disorderly election at 5,300 polling places in the state.
The New York Times created a map of states that allowed voters to take a selfie of their ballot. The map also included the states that did not allow the selfie along with the state where the law was unclear.
The 21 states allowing voters to take a selfie of their ballot include Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
