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He's (not) bringing selfies back: Timberlake in the clear over polling booth selfie gaffe
Voters – even former members of NSYNC – are barred from taking photos in polling locations.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FLEW from California to Tennessee in order to vote early, and state officials say that’s great — but he shouldn’t have taken a selfie at the ballot box.
The singer posted a picture of himself at the voting booth on Instagram earlier this week, noting that if he could make that effort, then there are:
No excuses, my good people!
However, a Tennessee law that took effect earlier this year bars voters from taking photographs or video while inside a polling location.
Possible violation
The local District Attorney’s office initially said it had been “made aware of a possible violation of state election law” and that the matter was “under review”.
However, yesterday afternoon a second statement from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office revised that position, according to Local Memphis:
“The statement released earlier today by my office regarding Justin Timberlake and an investigation was incorrect and was released without my knowledge.
I am out of town at a conference. No one in our office is currently investigating this matter nor will we be using our limited resources to do so.
Tennessee Secretary of State spokesman Adam Ghassemi said officials are “thrilled Justin can’t stop the feeling” but reminded voters to use their phones inside polling locations only to help them vote.
Timberlake lives in California, but grew up in the Memphis area and owns property near Nashville. He recently hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton.
In case you were wondering, taking a selfie in the polling booth isn’t advisable in Ireland either. Last year, the Referendum Commissioner explained to us:
It’s a matter for the returning officer but you’re not suppose to do anything that would involve the secrecy of the ballot paper being interfered with. So if you take a selfie of yourself after just having voted that may well do that any you could be stopped, in fact you could be charged if you persist. If you want to take a selfie of yourself after you voted take one outside the polling station and that’s fine.
- with reporting from Associated Press
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