Category: Uncategorized

copperbadge:

sleepyheathen:

xkcds:

There were actually some good reasons for those laws, but IMO they now do more harm than good. Which raises a question: If there’s a ballot measure to strike them down, how can I resist the urge to take a picture of my “yes” vote?

Ballot Selfies [Explained]

From Wikipedia:

Most state laws making it a crime to photograph marked ballots were enacted as reform efforts in the early 20th century, as part of a broader campaign that saw the introduction of the secret ballot and the enactment of “other laws intended to prevent voter corruption and intimidation.”[19] Many such laws remain in force even though “the outright buying of votes has receded as a significant issue.”[19]

Jurisdictions that currently prohibit ballot selfies are: 

  • Alabama 
  • Alaska
  • Colorado 
  • Florida
  • Georgia 
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Massachusetts 
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi 
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico 
  • New York
  • North Carolina 
  • South Carolina 
  • South Dakota
  • Wisconsin 

Illinois’s laws are the strictest of all. While most states with anti-ballot selfie laws make the offense a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, in Illinois, taking a ballot selfie is a felony punishable by 1–3 years in prison.[25][26]

Jurisdictions that currently allow ballot selfies or do not enforce laws against them are: 

  • Connecticut
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • the District of Columbia.

[25][26]

Jurisdictions where the law is currently unclear are: 

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Delaware
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Missouri
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • West Virginia.

[25][26]

Well, today I learned a thing….

katherynefromphilly:

protego-et-servio:

The point of voting blue in 2018 isn’t to make the US perfect. We cannot accomplish that in one fell swoop. There’s gerrymandering, voter apathy, voter suppression, and generations of older party-line fucks we have to deal with.

Voting blue in 2018 is to make it less immediately threatening for PoC, LGBT+ people, the disabled, and any other marginalized demographic. It’s a stopgap against Republicans who are aligned with Nazis, white supremacists, and sexual abusers.

Correcting politics in the United States is going to take decades of new voters staying on top of politics and not falling prey to apathy, like our predecessors. 

People telling you not to waste a vote on 3rd Party this midterm aren’t saying “never vote 3rd party.” Republicans have united behind one utterly heinous front. We need to unite behind Democrats, for the time being.

Repeating this key sentence:

“Voting blue in 2018 is to make it less immediately threatening for PoC, LGBT+ people, the disabled, and any other marginalized demographic [WOMEN]. It’s a stopgap against Republicans who are aligned with Nazis, white supremacists, and sexual abusers.”

Reblogging in the memory of everyone who said to me, 2 years ago, “how much damage can he do?” and “it’s like choosing the lesser of two evils” and “you’re overreacting” and “he won’t get elected it’ll never happen”.