Wake County resident challenges NC’s ballot selfie ban

CHARLOTTE — Wake County resident and former Libertarian state senate candidate Susan Hogarth is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections to challenge the state’s ban on taking selfies with ballots.

“I like to celebrate the fact that I vote and vote a particular way,” Hogarth said.

After casting her ballot in the March primary, Wake County resident Susan Hogarth posted a photo to X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I think your voting choices should be private if you want them, but not secret if you don’t want that,” she said.

Two weeks later, she got a letter from the North Carolina Board of Elections telling her she was breaking the law and asking her to take her picture down.

“They said I should take down the post because it was breaking a law. It’s a class one misdemeanor. I could be fined or go to jail,” she said.

She’s now suing the State Board of Elections because she says this is a violation of her free speech.

“I think the law is stupid and needs to be challenged,” she said.

A spokesperson for the State Board of Elections says the Board is required to investigate violations of election laws and report them to prosecutors when warranted.

Mecklenburg County Election Director Michael Dickerson says a picture could be used as proof of a vote for a vote-buying scheme.

Dickerson says they’re setting up selfie stations at the polls so people can legally take selfies celebrating democracy

“So you can then have evidence that you voted,” he said. “But do not take a picture of your ballot. That’s not permitted by law.”

Hogarth’s federal lawsuit is being heard in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

(VIDEO: NC elections workers carefully prepare mail-in ballots for early voting)

NC elections workers carefully prepare mail-in ballots for early voting

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