Thursday, November 8, 2012

People posting pictures of ballots on social media





Some people just don't understand that everything isn't meant to be shared on social networks. One of those things is your voting ballot, as you see Blue Ivy's moms doing above. It is prohibited in certain parts of the United States. Hip Hop Wired reports:


The pull of social media can be a strong one, and even though it's Election Day, voters must fight the urge to share ballots via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or other social networking destinations.

While it seems like everything can be posted online, photo sharing of your voting decision can result in jail time, depending on the state. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas all “prohibit the use of photographic and recording equipment inside polling place.”

A search on Twitter shows that #vote, #Ivoted, and #govote, have all become trending topics, but part of restricting the use of phones is for the courtesy of others, as reported by All Thing Digital:

It's worth noting that many states prohibit activities that interfere with other people's voting processes. So, even if photography is allowed in your polling place, disrupting or intimidating someone else, or capturing an image of their ballot, might be a big no-no.

No matter how hard it may be to put the phone aside, and cast a vote without followers “liking” or commenting, failing to follow the rules has its consequences. In Wisconsin, posting photos of a ballot is a Class I felony punishable by 18-months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Cast your vote, just keep it to yourself.

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