Photograph by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Macy's
A word to the wise: No matter how proud you are to cast your vote on November 8, keep your iPhone in your pocket and do not follow the lead of Justin Timberlake. The singer’s voting booth selfie had good intentions (to encourage NSYNC-loving millennials to vote), but also stirred up controversy when news broke that Timberlake was under investigation by the DA’s office in Memphis for violating Tennessee law. The Shelby County District Attorney’s office now says he is not being investigated after all, but Timberlake should have known better—over the weekend, the Associated Press rounded up the laws in each state, and for Tennessee, it says “voters are not allowed to take photos or videos while in polling places.”
That same Associated Press report also lists ballot selfies in Georgia as illegal—specifically: “Law prevents photos of ballots or the screens of electronic voting machines.” So even if you are really, really excited to show that you actually got yourself out of bed and down to the polls to exercise your democratic right, even if the inevitable Election Day Snapchat filters are really cute, just don’t take a picture with your ballot. (And if you do, don’t post it on the internet. Seriously, guys, this is an easy one.)
