© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Deal reached on lawsuit over Michigan ban on ballot selfies

voting booth
Adobe Stock

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has agreed to settle a lawsuit over a ban on so-called ballot selfies.

Joel Crookston, a voter in the Kalamazoo area, sued in 2016 to try to stop Michigan's ban on taking photos of marked ballots or publicly exposing them.

Lawyers won't talk about the deal until details are filed in federal court on May 8. But a court filing last week suggests there will be an easing of the ban. The state said it wanted to avoid "any confusion" in polling places and wait until after local elections are held on May 7.

In 2012, Crookston took a picture of his ballot and posted it on social media. He wasn't challenged by election officials, but a lawyer warned him that it was illegal and could disqualify his ballot.

Michigan's prohibition on displaying completed ballots has been around since 1891.

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
Related Content