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Like my vote? Michigan lifts ban on ballot selfies

Posted at 11:39 AM, May 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-08 11:39:36-04

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan voters are free to take a picture of their ballot before they leave a voting booth.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has settled a 2016 lawsuit that challenged a ban on so-called ballot selfies. The ban on displaying completed ballots has been around since 1891.

Benson’s office and Joel Crookston, a voter in the Kalamazoo area, reached a deal in April. But no details were released until Wednesday, a day after local elections around Michigan.

The agreement says voters can photograph their marked ballot. They still can’t take a photo of themselves in a polling place.

In 2012, Crookston took a picture of his ballot and posted it on social media. He wasn’t challenged by election officials, but a lawyer warned him that it was illegal and could disqualify his ballot.

The state also will pay $90,000 for Crookston’s legal fees.