Relax, America: Justin Timberlake is not going to be arrested for his voting booth ballot selfie, according to the Tennessee District Attorney's office.
But thanks to a recent decision from the First Circuit Court of Appeals, no one should be. The court ruled in late September that forbidding a person from taking a photo of their ballot is a violation of their constitutional First Amendment rights.
Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU Massachusetts, praised the First Circuit's decision.
"There's all sorts of reasons to say 'I got out and voted': I'm patriotic, or I like this candidate. You can do it," Rose said.
Opponents of the decision raised concerns that ballot selfies could be used to coerce people into voting a certain way, but Rose said she believes their fears are unfounded.
"There can have laws against forcing people to vote a certain way. There are all sorts of corruption laws in place. It's not a big problem," she said.
The ban on ballot selfies, Rose said, was "too broad a solution to a problem that isn't really even a problem, but may, in fact, intimidate people from voting."
So whether you're voting early or heading to the polls November 8th, don't be shy to snap a photo of your ballot.
"If people want to go to the ballot and take a picture of themselves and post it online, you have a right to do that," Rose said. "If someone tries to prevent you or get you in trouble, call the ACLU."
To hear more from Carol Rose, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
