Social media election news

NBCnews.com, this morning, blended "election law" with possible social media aspects in maybe a slightly different way with an article about" tweeting a photo of your ballot, showing it on Instagram, Facebook ,or on other sites being illegal & potentially leading to your being prosecuted... Although that apparently hasn't stopped scads of voters from doing it anyway..."

The article has NBC News Justice Department correspondent, Pete Williams, reporting "that the laws banning and restricting photography are 'from a bygone era before the ubiquity of cellphone cameras and social media,' and that they were passed 'to prevent employers or union bosses from pressuring people to vote in a certain way and demanding proof of it,' but also noted that "secretaries of state in several states around the country Tuesday issued statements warning voters to knock off the social media photos of ballots."

"Kay Stimson, communications and special projects director of the National Association of Secretaries of State, a professional organization for secretaries of states around the country, told NBC News, it's not just about photographing ballots; it's about displaying them."

"The Citizen Media Law Project at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society posted a chart showing how all 50 states handle this kind of activity, as outdated as it may seem in the age of social media and oversharing."

"Note that the (Citizen Media Law Project) chart documenting one's vote," Stimson further commented, "shows that while most states do not expressly prohibit recording/photography inside of polling sites, the majority of states do prohibit the public display of marked ballots," she said. "The states that do have such laws have adopted them to prevent vote buying and voter coercion."

"Additionally, Stimson added, 'it is important to respect the integrity of the voting process. States generally prohibit any form of conduct that serves to intimidate voters, interferes with their right to exercise their vote, or disrupts voting.'"