Ballot Selfies

[Page]

Well, here in New Zealand it's illegal to post anything about who you voted for or who you're supporting on social media as it can get you fined. In 2014, three prominent sports stars in NZ were referred to the cops on election day (not prosecuted in the end, however) because they posted about supporting the centre-right National Party. No, not because the party sucks and is a husk of its once-conservative former self, but because it's illegal to tweet about how you're looking forward to the big boost in sports funding.

According to the Electoral Commission, It's a criminal offence to do anything that can influence voters:
- on election day
- in an advance voting place
- within 10 metres of an advance voting place

"This includes public statements, processions, and speeches, as well as displaying candidate and party names, emblems, slogans or logos. Sections 197 and 197A of the Electoral Act have the full lists of restricted activities. Remove or cover all your election advertising that’s visible from a public place before election day. Returning Officers can remove or cover advertising that breaches the rules."

There are specific exemptions to the Act in terms of stuff like wearing party lapels (you can have ONE) but party merch is specifically prohibited. Let's be honest though, political party merch is cringe anyway.

Holy shit, that is incredibly disturbing.

[Thermodolia]

In my state cameras, phones, and other electronic devices are not allowed to be within 50ft of a polling place. You will be fined and the device will be confiscated

Pain in the ass, technically I can get fined for walking home in front of the place even if I have no intention of voting at that time.

Considering that most polling places in the state are set back 100ft from the street it would be pretty damn hard to have that happen

[The Sherpa Empire]

Well, here in New Zealand it's illegal to post anything about who you voted for or who you're supporting on social media as it can get you fined. In 2014, three prominent sports stars in NZ were referred to the cops on election day (not prosecuted in the end, however) because they posted about supporting the centre-right National Party. No, not because the party sucks and is a husk of its once-conservative former self, but because it's illegal to tweet about how you're looking forward to the big boost in sports funding.

According to the Electoral Commission, It's a criminal offence to do anything that can influence voters:
- on election day
- in an advance voting place
- within 10 metres of an advance voting place

"This includes public statements, processions, and speeches, as well as displaying candidate and party names, emblems, slogans or logos. Sections 197 and 197A of the Electoral Act have the full lists of restricted activities. Remove or cover all your election advertising that’s visible from a public place before election day. Returning Officers can remove or cover advertising that breaches the rules."

There are specific exemptions to the Act in terms of stuff like wearing party lapels (you can have ONE) but party merch is specifically prohibited. Let's be honest though, political party merch is cringe anyway.

That seems excessive.

We do have laws in the US that says you have to stand a certain distance from the polling station if you campaign on election day (to make sure voters don't feel pressured by your physical presence), but it's normal to see people standing around with campaign signs a little way up the block.

[SD_Film Artists]

In other countries like Germany, ballot selfies are banned on the basis of preserving the secrecy of the ballot. Some argue that this ban does not violate freedom of speech because one is still free to tell people who they voted for.

^This. Even if you don't care about your secrecy there's still the chance that you may be compromising someone else's. Take a selfie outside the polling station if you want to be a diva.

[Earth Orbit]

Well, here in New Zealand it's illegal to post anything about who you voted for or who you're supporting on social media as it can get you fined. In 2014, three prominent sports stars in NZ were referred to the cops on election day (not prosecuted in the end, however) because they posted about supporting the centre-right National Party. No, not because the party sucks and is a husk of its once-conservative former self, but because it's illegal to tweet about how you're looking forward to the big boost in sports funding.

According to the Electoral Commission, It's a criminal offence to do anything that can influence voters:
- on election day
- in an advance voting place
- within 10 metres of an advance voting place

"This includes public statements, processions, and speeches, as well as displaying candidate and party names, emblems, slogans or logos. Sections 197 and 197A of the Electoral Act have the full lists of restricted activities. Remove or cover all your election advertising that’s visible from a public place before election day. Returning Officers can remove or cover advertising that breaches the rules."

There are specific exemptions to the Act in terms of stuff like wearing party lapels (you can have ONE) but party merch is specifically prohibited. Let's be honest though, political party merch is cringe anyway.

Sounds like a good way to do it. That's the main problem with democracy - some people are stupid and easily influenced. If celebrity influencers say they're voting for X, you can bet your ass some percentage of their followers are going to blindly do the same so they feel cool, thus corrupting the democratic process. People need to either do their own research and come to their own conclusion, or just not vote.

[The Emerald Legion]

"I don't expect X" and "There is no X" are two very different things.

Having said that I don't see anything wrong with ballot selfies because I don't see anything wrong with vote buying.

Every election, there are at most 5 people in the entire country who vote fraudulently. Take 10 states like California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Texas, and Oklahoma and in one of those ten states you might find a single person who commits voter fraud.

Is there any reason to suspect that vote buying occurs at a greater rate?

Five people who get caught. Remember, having the ability to detect and stop vote fraud is racism.

[Ifreann]

Taking pictures of ballots is prohibited here to prevent the creation of counterfeit ballots.

[Dumb Ideologies]

It's a cumulative fraud risk (albeit small) because it normalises the idea of photos being taken around the voting area. There's no great social benefit to allowing it so I think the status quo is fine.

If there's any kind of electronic voting or counting there's also the risk of people pretending to take a photo as cover for actually trying to fuck around with the machines, but if you've got computerised voting then the entire thing is inherently compromised anyway and also what the hell is wrong with you.

[The Dolphin Isles]

I think a ban with rare or zero actual enforcement is the best option. Vote buying isn't a problem at the national or state level. I see it as a massive issue at the local level where low voter turnout means margins can be as low as less than 100 votes between candidates. Paying 100 people $50 ($5,000 total) would definitely change the results.

However, the bigger threat imo is voter intimidation. Imagine your boss, religious leader, or even parents demand that you take a photo of your ballot to show them who you voted for or else you will be given bad shifts (still illegal to fire), publicly shamed, or have your car taken away. The illegality of taking photos gives people an out. They can just say the poll worker caught them or they were too afraid to break the law. We must remember that the anonymity of the polls does not just protect the results, it protects the voters as well.

This is why I got angry when my roommate's rural, farming hometown started implementing a system where they made it public record whether or not a person voted in the last election. It's not hard in a small town to know who supports the ideology of a minority party in the area and now they have a record of whether or not that person voted. This leads to voter oppression similar to what was seen in the jim crow era South where African Americans were physically and violently forced to not vote by the community.

Edits: grammar/spell check

[Page]

Every election, there are at most 5 people in the entire country who vote fraudulently. Take 10 states like California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Texas, and Oklahoma and in one of those ten states you might find a single person who commits voter fraud.

Is there any reason to suspect that vote buying occurs at a greater rate?

Five people who get caught. Remember, having the ability to detect and stop vote fraud is racism.

If 100 people get away with it for every person who gets caught, it would still be too insignificant to even call a rounding error.

The cumulative voter fraud of the last 20 years of American history put together would not be enough to alter the results of a small town's city council election.

And can we please not pretend that Republicans care about voter fraud? I'll even offer you a compromise, that you can think voter fraud is a thing, but the laws are about voter suppression and preventing any real voter fraud is an accidental side effect. Even that is too generous. Republicans have admitted on tape that they crafted these laws to keep people of color from voting. What about North Dakota where they made a law that one must have a house address, not just a PO Box to register, and completely coincidentally most indigenous people there don't have house addresses?

[Salus Maior]

If people want to sacrifice their own privacy, as they already have by buying into social media, then that's their own fault.

[Page]

If people want to sacrifice their own privacy, as they already have by buying into social media, then that's their own fault.

The whole idea of privacy is one keeping private what they want to keep private. I don't really consider it a sacrifice when one shares something they had no desire to keep to themselves in the first place.

[Mushet]

Pain in the ass, technically I can get fined for walking home in front of the place even if I have no intention of voting at that time.

Considering that most polling places in the state are set back 100ft from the street it would be pretty damn hard to have that happen

Building my polling place is in is right against the sidewalk.If we did that here then people passing by would have their phones confiscated for draconian reasons. Might even affect nearby businesses. Depends on the room really.

[Imperial Joseon]

In Korea, you can get backlash from your acquaintances and friends, if you show for whom you voted. Political disparities can cause rifts in relationships.

[Workers Juche Liberation Front of Korea]

In Korea, you can get backlash from your acquaintances and friends, if you show for whom you voted. Political disparities can cause rifts in relationships.

If I would see that my relatives were not voting for the WPK I would be mad at them too and inform the authorities. Unless you live in the puppet south, then you should come up north to free Korea from the foreign masters.

[Imperial Joseon]

In Korea, you can get backlash from your acquaintances and friends, if you show for whom you voted. Political disparities can cause rifts in relationships.

If I would see that my relatives were not voting for the WPK I would be mad at them too and inform the authorities. Unless you live in the puppet south, then you should come up north to free Korea from the foreign masters.

If North gives an excuse to strike first, then we can move North.

[Workers Juche Liberation Front of Korea]

If I would see that my relatives were not voting for the WPK I would be mad at them too and inform the authorities. Unless you live in the puppet south, then you should come up north to free Korea from the foreign masters.

If North gives an excuse to strike first, then we can move North.

If any such provocation of the puppet south would occur, there would also be a new space for parking lot where Seoul used to be.

[Imperial Joseon]

If North gives an excuse to strike first, then we can move North.

If any such provocation of the puppet south would occur, there would also be a new space for parking lot where Seoul used to be.

Does North Korea allow ballot selfies? I mean, everyone's going to vote for Kim Jong Un.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I was taught that who you vote for at the ballot station is your business and nobody else’s. I don’t take selfies of that. Especially not when living in a small town with very small minded people who judge you based on politics.

[Imperial Joseon]

I was taught that who you vote for at the ballot station is your business and nobody else’s. I don’t take selfies of that. Especially not when living in a small town with very small minded people who judge you based on politics.

Yeah, I was pretty much being jocular. I don't really prefer taking selfies. In fact, I never really like taking selfies, myself or by someone else. I'm just not telegenic and people post my faces on Facebook and Instagram, which annoys me even more.

[Cekoviu]

In Korea, you can get backlash from your acquaintances and friends, if you show for whom you voted. Political disparities can cause rifts in relationships.

If I would see that my relatives were not voting for the WPK I would be mad at them too and inform the authorities. Unless you live in the puppet south, then you should come up north to free Korea from the foreign masters.

Been a while since I saw you posting here, Jongy. How's your ICBM program?