New Hampshire selfie-aficionadoes rejoice! The state-wide ban on taking selfies in voting booths was declared unconstitutional by a state court ruling on Wednesday, NBC News reports.
Taking and sharing photos of voting ballots has been illegal in New Hampshire since 2014, and was punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, according to NBC. A federal judge struck down the law a year ago, and the state appealed. Why? They thought letting people take pictures in the voting booth might encourage bad behavior—someone might buy votes, using photos as proof that people actually voted the way they promised. But the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston didn't buy that, basically saying it was a made-up fear in the ruling.
"Voting is an act of extraordinary importance," William Christie, one of the lawyers on the case, said in a statement."And it is because of this importance that the First Amendment also ensures that citizens are free to communicate their experiences at the polls, including the people for whom they voted if they so wish."
Believe it or not, snapping a pic with your ballot is still banned in 26 states, and 14 states have unclear laws—so you probably don't want to risk it. But if you're a selfie-taker in Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming (and now New Hampshire!) you're good. There's reason to be hopeful that the law will be changing in more states, though, as Snapchat is a major player in fighting voter-booth-selfie bans. They claim that young people want and need the chance to share their voting experiences with others.
All we know is that if Snapchat offers Election Day filters that transform us into Hillz or the Donald, we're totes going to use them in the booth if our states allow it. No matter whom you vote for or whether or not you can take a selfie, get to the polls on Nov. 8!
