PIERRE - It appears "ballot selfies" will remain illegal in South Dakota.
By voice vote, members of the state House of Representatives rejected an amendment to House Bill 1034 that would have eliminated the restriction on people taking photos of their own completed ballots.
Rep. Susan Wismer, D-Britton, pitched the amendment. She and Rep. Drew Dennert, R-Aberdeen, spoke in favor of it.
Young people, especially, like to take photos of their ballots and post them on social media, Wismer said.
Dennert agreed. He said many of his friends posted images of filled-in ballots on Election Day not realizing it is illegal.
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And, he said, the law is not being enforced anyhow.
"If we have a law we're not enforcing, I don't think we need to have it on the books," he said.
But other representatives expressed concerns about the wording in the amendment and bill.
Rep. Tim Rounds, R-Pierre, said it goes beyond "ballot selfies." Pictures showing how somebody voted could influence others who see them, he said.
Rounds said what while he understands the sentiment, making the change in HB 1034 isn't the way to go about it.
The bill at large, which sets fees for receiving election-related electronic files and revises other provisions concerning filing petitions, elections and voting, passed 56-11 and moves to the Senate.
