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Officials ask not to take selfies in polling places in Central PA

YORK, Pa. — Singer Justin Timberlake is making headlines after posting a selfie in a polling station in Tennessee. But in Central Pennsylvania, the rules ...

YORK, Pa. -- Singer Justin Timberlake is making headlines after posting a selfie in a polling station in Tennessee.

Officials ask not to take selfies in polling places in Central PA

But in Central Pennsylvania, the rules regarding taking pictures with cell phones aren't black and white.

Taking a selfie is now the new norm, but election officials are recommending you think before you take a selfie in a polling place.

The Pennsylvania Election Code does not address the use of cell phones in the polling place. Instead the Department of State recommends that each county adopts its own set of rules to address the use of cell phones.

In York and Cumberland Counties, cell phones are not even allowed inside the polling place. This is to protect the privacy of voters in exercising their voting rights.

Jasmine Martin, from Long Island, New York, said, "They put you up in a box for a reason, so nobody can see what you're doing. And who you're voting for. And it's also for your own privacy. So you should respect yourself enough to keep that private."

In other counties, like Lancaster, there aren't any regulations on the use of cell phones. But some people said it's not a good idea to snap a picture in the polling place, even if it's legal.

"The voting booth is for your own personal vote obviously and that's the whole point of the election. You're supposed to have your own private vote and you shouldn't be taking selfies in there," Martin said.

As to whether or not you can take a picture of the actual ballot, it's another gray area. A number of sources are saying it's prohibited to show your ballot with the intention of letting it be known how you are about to vote. They are quoting Title 25 of Pennsylvania Statute Section 3530. But when we looked up that law, we couldn't find it.

Kit Curlen, from Hanover, said, "I do think voting is a very private decision that people make. And I don't know that I would be in favor of showing a picture of who you voted for. Just the idea that you're going out and voting is more important to me."

Although selfies might be allowed in some polling places, officials in Central Pennsylvania said they encourage people to wait until after you leave the polling place to take a photo.

 

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