North Carolina Woman Sues Over Ballot Selfie Ban

A North Carolina woman, Susan Hogarth, has filed a lawsuit against the state elections board challenging the constitutionality of laws that prohibit photography in polling places. The suit, filed in US Eastern District Court, stems from a March incident where Hogarth posted a selfie with her ballot on X. The North Carolina State Board of Elections subsequently requested she remove the post, citing potential legal penalties.

Hogarth argues these laws infringe on her First Amendment rights. She insists voters should freely share their voting choices without facing punitive actions. The North Carolina law bans most polling place photography unless approved by precinct officials and prohibits photographing completed ballots to prevent potential misuse in vote-buying schemes.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) supports Hogarth, asserting that ballot selfies constitute protected political speech. FIRE attorney Jeff Zeman emphasized, “Ballot selfie bans turn innocent Americans into criminals for nothing more than showing their excitement about how they voted, or even just showing that they voted.” Hogarth is also a Libertarian Party candidate for a state legislative seat and says she plans to promote her own campaign with another ballot selfie.

Word count: 194 words (This story was generated by Newser’s AI chatbot. Source: the AP)