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N.H. Appeals Court's Decision On Legalization Of "Ballot Selfies"

Allegra Boverman for NHPR
An "I voted" pin has always been okay, but taking selfies with a ballot? That's been at the center of debate in N.H.

Concerned over election fraud, the New Hampshire Secretary of State's office wants to keep on the books a state law that bans posting ballot photos to social media.

The Caledonian Record reports the office has taken its case to the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

A federal judge ruled Aug. 13 that the law passed last year prohibiting residents from photographing their marked ballots and sharing them violated free speech and isn't necessary to stop election fraud, which is what proponents of the law— including the Secretary of State's office —had argued.

Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlon said Wednesday the state has been successful in the past in passing laws to curb election fraud.

An ACLU attorney says the law's "blanket ban" isn't needed to stop vote coercion.

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