California voters can take a picture of their own marked ballot and share it. Assembly Bill 1494, signed in 2016, made ballot selfies legal starting Jan. 1, 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported. California is one of a couple dozen states that allow photos of ballots.
How it got here
The law didn't take effect in time for the 2016 presidential election. Four days before that vote, the ACLU sued then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla seeking to allow ballot selfies right away, and a federal judge in San Francisco rejected the request, according to the Times.
What's allowed
A Secretary of State memo to county election officials notes that Elections Code section 14291 lets a voter voluntarily disclose how they voted. The state constitution still says voting shall be secret, which protects every voter from being forced to reveal their choices.
The limits
- Your ballot only. Don't photograph other people's ballots or other voters. State law separately bars photographing or recording voters entering or leaving a polling place.
- No disruption. Former Secretary of State Shirley Weber told the Times that poll workers can step in if a selfie disrupts the voting process.
- No selling. It remains illegal to sell your vote, to intimidate voters or to compromise other voters' privacy.
Media and exit polls
The same Secretary of State memo says news crews need the elections official's consent to film inside a polling place, and recommends that exit pollsters stay at least 25 feet away from the polling place.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.