Thousands of Ohioans have already started voting early. But if you're tempted to post a photo of your completed ballot on social media, think twice. Ohio law limits what voters can capture inside the voting booth.
Casting a ballot? You could pay $2,500 and serve a year in prison if you post a photo of your completed ballot.
Are ballot selfies illegal in Ohio? A $2,500 fine, prison time possible
In Ohio, it's illegal to take a ballot selfie, a photo of your ballot. However, it's very unlikely you will be prosecuted for it.
Taking a picture of a completed ballot is a fifth-degree felony in Ohio. It carries a $2,500 fine and up to a year in prison. However, there are no records of Ohio ever enforcing the law, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Posting a photo of a completed ballot can violate Ohio law, which prohibits
a voter from allowing their ballot to be seen by another person with the apparent intention of showing how they voted.
Why is it illegal to take a picture of your completed ballot?
Lawmakers outlawed photos of completed ballots in 1997, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Why? Fears of election interference and voter intimidation.
Lawmakers were concerned employers, friends or others could force people to vote a certain way by demanding voters show photos of their completed ballot to prove how they voted.
Nearly 30 years later, the law may seem archaic and may be a violation of the First Amendment, the Enquirer previously reported. A federal court in New Hampshire ruled a similar ballot picture prohibition violated voters' right to freedom of speech.
Can I take a picture of my friend voting?
Yes. It's something candidates do all the time, per previous Enquirer reporting. Just don't get their ballot in the photo.
Are campaign shirts and hats allowed at polling places?
No. You are not allowed to campaign or try to influence another's vote within 100 feet of a polling location, The Enquirer reports.
So, you can't wear hats, T-shirts, buttons or any other paraphernalia that supports a candidate when you cast your ballot. Elections officials might ask you to cover your campaign shirt with a jacket or turn it inside out.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Can you take a ballot selfie? Not in Ohio. Here's why
