Is It Legal To Post A Ballot Selfie In Iowa?

There's a certain fact you need to know for an election year.

One thing about social media that apparently hasn't changed since about 2012 is the compulsion to post selfies. This is especially true with the ballot selfies on Election Day. It's mostly to show you did your civic duty and voted. I've posted it with the 'I Voted' sticker on, though I looked like crap.

But in a world of camera phones and in something that's supposed to be as secretive as a voting booth, how can you control these pics?

To Post Or Not To Post

Whether you're vocal about your political leanings or not, many states have rules governing what you can and can't put on social media when it comes to your election ballot.

In Iowa's case, it's kind of unclear. Vox says yes, ballot selfies are allowed in Iowa, while Ballotpedia reports that in Iowa, it's unlawful to take a selfie in a voting booth and legislators have asked Iowans not to take a ballot selfie unless it's a pic with an absentee ballot. You can't take pics of other people at the voting booths or other people's ballots.

Ballot selfies are an issue that states are pretty split on. Some are fine with it, others see it as a violation of election privacy. States that are okay with it cite free speech as the reason.

Another issue with posting ballot selfies is that they can put a price tag on votes. Former US Attorney Kerry Harvey said:

Selfies in the voting booth will make it easier to successfully buy votes and harder to detect

So really if you're in Iowa and you want everyone to know you voted, the best idea is probably just to put the 'I Voted' sticker on and take a selfie in your car.