With the craze of the selfie in full swing, the Electoral Commission have warned voters against taking pictures of themselves inside the polling stations during tomorrow’s election.
The concern over selfies has emerged following last year’s local and European elections, when polling station staff had to be asked to stop taking selfies. Although there are no laws against taking a picture of your own ballot paper, there are fears that some images could breach section 66 of the Representation of the People Act (1983).
The Electoral Commission have said: “The law against releasing information obtained in a polling station is there to protect the integrity of the poll and the secrecy of the ballot.
“Remember that pictures of you before you go into or after you leave the polling station are great to use on social media posts but don’t take a picture of yourself inside the polling station as if you post this it could be a breach of the law.”
However, the selfie has become an increasingly popular aspect to political campaigning, with the top party leaders taking pictures of themselves with other politicians, as well as celebrities such as Joey Essex, in recent months.
In addition to this, head of campaigns at the Electoral Reform Society, Will Brett, has said: “While it’s vital that people’s privacy isn’t invaded in the polling booth, selfies could be a fun addition to the voting day ritual, especially for young people who are least likely to vote.” He goes on to say that the selfie could be a “great way to increase awareness about the election.”
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