New Hampshire primary voters rejoice! You may once again take “ballot selfies.” A federal judge Monday repealed the Granite State’s law banning photos of filled-out election ballots, ruling that it violated the First Amendment. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro said the law was unconstitutional, because it did not meet the standards necessary for the state to restrict political free speech. “Here, the law at issue is a content-based restriction on speech that deprives voters of one of their most powerful means of letting the world know how they voted,” Barbadoro wrote in his decision.
The state implemented the law September 1, 2014 upon concerns that a voter could be bribed or coerced into posting proof that they voted a certain way.
“The new high-tech methods of showing a ballot absolutely could be used to further a serious vote-buying scheme,” argued the bill’s sponsor Rep. Timothy Horrigan. The measure banned individuals from displaying photos of their ballots on social media and imposed a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine.
Full Article: A federal judge just struck down New Hampshire’s ban on ballot selfies – New Hampshire news – Boston.com.