Voters casting their ballots in today’s general election risk a £5,000 fine for a mistake when entering the polling station. General election voters are heading to the polls as Conservative and Labour MPs battle it out for the nation’s votes as the country heads to the polls.
The Electoral Commission strongly advises against taking selfies or photos inside polling stations so as not to reveal to the public how someone voted, which is illegal. The act of taking photos inside a polling station is not illegal in itself, but revealing to the public how someone voted is a crime.
The Commission recommends that if you are going to take a photo or selfie, you do so outside the polling place, perhaps near the signs directing you to do so. This way, you will know that you are not breaking any laws, but you will still be encouraging others to vote and celebrating your own democratic right to do so.
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You can also reveal on social media how you voted yourself, but not how someone else voted, as this can be punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison, and the same goes for doing so in the form of a photograph. Also, do not take photographs of your ballot paper.
According to the Electoral Commission, photographs should not be taken inside polling stations as this can “jeopardise the secrecy” of the vote. The punishment for revealing another person’s vote, even if done accidentally, is a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison.
Voters are more than welcome to take selfies outside polling stations. Jeremy Corbyn has again appealed on social media for people to come out and help his campaign to get votes for him as an independent candidate in Islington North, saying: “We are on the brink of a huge, historic victory.”
