Can I take a ballot selfie? (2024)

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Ballot selfies are photos taken by voters showing their completed election ballots. Ballot selfies rose to prominence in the late 2000s, when smartphones—which usually have digital cameras—became widespread.

During the 2024 election cycle, 28 states permitted ballot selfies at the polls. See the map and table below for further information.



Ballot selfie regulations by state, November 2024
State Permissible? Statute or source
Alabama Yes Alabama Code, § 17-9-50.1
Alaska No Alaska Statutes § 15.15.280 (2023)
Arizona Absentee ballots only Arizona Code § 16-515
Arkansas Yes Direct outreach[1]
California Yes California Election Code § 14291 (2023)
Colorado Yes Colorado Revised Statutes 1-13-712b
Connecticut Yes Statement from secretary of state's office (2020)
Delaware Yes Direct outreach[2]
District of Columbia Unclear
Florida Yes Florida Statutes 102-031
Georgia No Georgia Code § 21-2-568.2
Hawaii Yes Hawaii Revised Statutes § 11-121 (2023)
Idaho Yes Direct outreach[3][4]
Illinois No 10 Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/29-9
Indiana Yes Indiana Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. v. Indiana Secretary of State (2015)
Iowa Yes Iowa Code 2024, Section 49.88
Kansas Yes Direct outreach[5][6]
Kentucky Yes[7] 31 Kentucky Administrative Regulation 4:170
Louisiana Unclear
Maine Yes Maine Revised Statutes Title 25, §681
Maryland Unclear
Massachusetts No Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 56, § 25
Michigan Yes[8] Crookston v. Johnson (2016)
Minnesota No Minnesota Statutes 204C.17 and 204C.18
Mississippi No Mississippi Code § 97-13-45
Missouri No Missouri Code Chapter 115.637.14
Montana Yes COPP-2018-AO-002
Nebraska Yes Nebraska Revised Statute 32-1527
Nevada No Nevada Revised Statutes 293.730.1e
New Hampshire Yes Rideout v. Gardner (2016)
New Jersey No New Jersey Statutes § 19:34-7
New Mexico Unclear
New York No New York State Election Law § 17-130-10
North Carolina No North Carolina General Statutes § 163-166.3
North Dakota Yes Direct outreach[9][10]
Ohio No Ohio Revised Code § 3599.20
Oklahoma Yes[11] Oklahoma Statutes § 26-14-107-B
Oregon Yes Senate Bill 1504 (2014)
Pennsylvania Yes Pennsylvania Attorney General
Rhode Island Yes Direct outreach[12]
South Carolina No South Carolina Code of Laws § 7-25-100
South Dakota No South Dakota Codified Laws §12-18-27
Tennessee Absentee ballots only Tennessee Code §2-7-142
Texas Absentee ballots only Texas Election Code § 61-014
Utah Yes Utah Code 20A-3a-504(3)
Vermont Yes Direct outreach[13]
Virginia Yes State Attorney General legal opinion (2016)
Washington Yes Washington Secretary of State
West Virginia Absentee ballots only West Virginia Code §3-4A-23
Wisconsin No Direct outreach[14][15]
Wyoming Yes Statement from secretary of state's office (2018)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Assistant Director of Elections Josh Bridges," August 14, 2024
  2. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Community Relations Officer Cathleen Carter," August 14, 2024
  3. ↑ In response to direct outreach in August 2024, the Office of the Idaho Secretary of State said: "So long as the voter is taking a selfie with his/her own ballot without including any other voter or ballot, that is permissible."
  4. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Elections Specialist Kate Lynch," August 14, 2024
  5. ↑ In response to direct outreach in September 2024, the Kansas Secretary of State Team said: "An Election Judge may prohibit picture taking if there are concerns about voter privacy, which is why is why picture taking is generally discouraged."
  6. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Kansas Secretary of State Team," September 30, 2024
  7. ↑ Voters cannot post the selfie while within 100 feet of the polling place.
  8. ↑ In Michigan, a voter can take a photo of their ballot, but they cannot appear in the photo.
  9. ↑ In response to September 2024 direct outreach, the Office of the North Dakota Secretary of State said: "There are no specific laws saying they are or are not permissible. Therefore, we understand that voters can take selfies of themselves voting but are encouraged not to get any other voter in the picture out of respect."
  10. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Elections Specialist Lee Ann Oliver," September 12, 2024
  11. ↑ Voters cannot post the selfie while in the polling place.
  12. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Deputy Director Johanna Petrarca," August 15, 2024
  13. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Chief of Staff Bryan Mills," August 14, 2024
  14. ↑ In response to direct outreach in September 2024, the Wisconsin Election Commission said: "If a voter '[s]hows his or her marked ballot to any person ...' they are intentionally violating [Wis. Stat. § 12.13(1)(f)]."
  15. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Wisconsin Elections Commissions Staff Cody Davies," September 12, 2024
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