Oklahoma will not be the latest state to allow voters to take selfies with their ballots, after Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed a bill this week that would’ve legalized the seemingly innocuous, but controversial practice. Fallin, a Republican, declined to sign a bill that would’ve allowed Oklahomans to take photos of their marked ballots, from either an absentee form or a voting booth, and share the images on social media. So-called “ballot selfies” have become increasingly popular over the past several election cycles, but ballot-security experts and elections officials in some states have become increasingly wary of the images’ potential to be abused.
“I am concerned how this will potentially open up the voting process for voter intimidation and propaganda electioneering,” Fallin wrote in her letter to Oklahoma legislators explaining her veto, the Tulsa World reported.
States are figuring out how to bolster the security of their voting systems, including spending as much as $380 million in new federal grants for election cybersecurity. But for years now, states have differed wildly on how much they’re willing to let individual voters share their choices with their online acquaintances.
Full Article: Bill allowing ‘ballot selfies’ vetoed by Oklahoma governor.