Deal reached on lawsuit over Michigan ban on ballot selfies

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.  (AP)