Ballot selfies: to pout or not to pout

By Samantha Bailey

The way that ‘selfies’ have become so ingrained in the very fabric of our lives is a little unsettling, but people feel the need to photograph themselves at a forty five degree angle, pulling duck face no matter what they are doing. Whether posing with a Starbucks cup, showing off their new hairdo or sitting on the toilet, selfies have become a cultural phenomenon that isn’t  going away.  

But it has now spawned a new rage of politically motivated selfies, with people posing with their ballots at American polling stations, sharing their allegiance to a particular presidential candidate with the world via social media.

As the digital age has allowed people with like minded views to connect, it is no wonder that people are sharing their political perspectives on social media, with the majority of social media users stating their political allegiance on their profile.

But it begs the question: Is it okay to take selfies at the poll?

https://twitter.com/vandives/status/793949048474574848

I voted by mail #sbcVote2016 #BallotSelfie pic.twitter.com/PDpXUiJWrh

— Daniel Robinson (@drobrx) October 24, 2016

 

America has seen poll station selfies take off in recent days, with people more than happy to show off their political participation, but it is getting individuals into serious legal trouble. People are being arrested for photography at the polling station, with this being classed as a criminal act in some parts of the US including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Illinois.

With votes still being cast over the USA for the upcoming election,  it remains to be seen whether voters will heed the warnings of the law enforcers, or whether more arrests will be made as a result of people’s fascination with self portrait phone photography.