Election 2012: Beyonce Voted, But Did She Break A Law By Photographing Her Ballot?

Carl Williott | November 6, 2012 11:45 am

Beyonce posted photos of her absentee ballot on her Tumblr today (November 6), so it’s good to know she’s not all talk. In one photo of the ballot, it’s clear to see Bey has marked the box “Democratic Party,” which isn’t surprising considering she wrote a letter in support of President Obama yesterday. However, in some states it’s a crime to photograph your ballot and disclose your vote. Her ballot was presumably prepared in New York, where election law section 17-130 states “it is a misdemeanor to show your ballot after it was prepared for voting to any person so as to reveal the contents.” Uh oh.

But! Judging by the photo, it was a Texas ballot. An official at the Election Division of the Texas Secretary of State’s office explained to us that, while their law is a bit murkier, it doesn’t specifically prohibit the distribution of images of absentee ballots. So which state’s law wins out?

According to the New York Board of Elections, the voter is governed by the ballot state’s law, not by the state in which the ballot was filled out. So it seems our girl Bey is in the clear! As for your friends lighting up Facebook, well, they may be criminals.