“Ballot Selfies”: Smartphones are joining voters in the polls

While voters are going into the booth to cast ballots, it appears  that smartphones are joining them to capture the experience photographically. They are calling them “ballot selfies”.

The use of cellphones is prohibited inside polling locations in both Maryland and Delaware, but some young voters disagree with that policy.

Sulamita Gutierrez says, “I did it so people on my Snapchat know they should go out and vote an this is something you should do.”

Sulamita Gutierrez,had finished voting Tuesday afternoon and says sharing pictures during her voting experience serves as a public service announcement for her friends.

“People forget to even register. I have friends who are not even registered. And it’s kind of sad because this is the only time we can make change,” says Gutierrez.

However, Yornelly Lebron, a Salisbury resident, believes some voters are just taking it too far.

“I’ve also seen pictures of people putting pictures on social media about when they are in the booth I think that’s my not a good idea. I think politics should stay private on who you’re voting,” says Lebron.

Maryland and Delaware voting officials tell 47 ABC that the only people permitted to use their phones at the polls are chief judges  and technical staff who might be there to check on the equipment itself. Edward Rodeir, a member of the Worcester County Board of Elections, says those regulations are in place to protect the integrity of the voting process.

“So that someone doesn’t happen to photograph a person or someone with a ballot in their hand,” says Rodeir.

Rodeir tells us that if a voter is caught using a phone they are asked to put it away. Laws about phones at the polls vary by state  and while Delaware and Maryland both have policies in place, neither state has any penalties for voters who break the rule.