Bid to crack down on selfies in poll booths

STAFF at polling stations today will advise voters not to take ‘selfies’ inside polling booths - because they could end up being prosecuted.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, poses for a selfie with voters in the Netherlands. Picture: AP

The Electoral Commission believes the trend of taking photos of yourself could reveal how someone has voted in the local and European elections.

Section 66 of the Representation of the People Act states that it is a criminal offence to reveal how someone has voted, or to communicate the serial number on a ballot paper.

And in guidelines issued to election staff, the Commission said: “Given the risk that someone taking a photo inside a polling station may be in breach of the law, whether intentionally or not, our advice is you should not allow photos to be taken inside polling stations.”

Anyone who is found in breach of the guidelines faces a fine of up to £5000, or six months in prison.

Local authorities believe the biggest concern is voters uploading selfies to social media sites such as Facebook.