Forget the ‘I Voted’ sticker; now it’s ballot selfies

“We thought it would be a great way to promote voting though social media,” she said.

Butler County officials first heard of the idea at a national conference for elections officials, and believe they are the first in Ohio to have the so-called selfie station.

“We also know that people are increasingly likely to share photos of themselves on social media, so we thought we’d capture that,” Bucaro said.

Butler County elections Director Diane Noonan said there had been concern by elections officials in other states about people taking selfies of their ballots.

“It’s their choice if they want to put something out (on social media),” she said, adding that nothing prevents a voter from sharing their ballot via a cellphone photo.

While it’s not been an issue here, Bucaro said it was a topic of conversation among election officials at that national conference.

“It’s something they’ve noticed that’s increased,” she said. “Whether or not its a problem is really a subjective matter.”

Miami University Regionals political science professor John Forren said it appears to be “a clever way … to create some positive buzz about voting.”

“It’s basically a 21st century update to the traditional ‘I voted’ sticker that voters have worn for decades,” he said. “It’s a really clever way to use social media to encourage voter participation.”

Cedarville University political science professor Mark C. Smith sees this as “a perfect metaphor for our current politics.”

“It doesn’t matter what you do, just look good doing it,” he said. “There are all sorts of ways people try to encourage voting, especially among a younger generation.”

While this may be a campy effort to entice young voters to the polls, Smith said given the unpredictability of this election “this will likely sweep the nation.”

The selfie station in Butler County is limited only to early voting, but if it becomes popular enough, elections officials say they may consider expanding the idea.

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EARLY VOTING HOURS

Every board of elections in Ohio will maintain the same early voting hours. They are as follows:

Source: Ohio Secretary of State