Did Justin Timberlake Break the Law While Taking Selfie at Tennessee Polling Station?
Justin Timberlake encourages people to vote while taking a selfie at a polling station in Tennessee.
But he has been spared a brush with the law after the picture he posted of himself voting caught the attention of Tennessee authorities.
Justin Timberlake uploaded a picture to Instagram of him casting a ballot in Memphis.
It became illegal to take photos inside polling locations in Tennessee in 2015.
Justin Timberlake flew from LA to his hometown of Memphis to cast an early ballot ahead of the November 8 election.
Image source Instagram
Earlier, the District Attorney’s office said it had been “made aware of a possible violation of state election law” and the matter was “under review”.
However, in a second statement, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich said the initial response was “incorrect” and “released without my knowledge,” according to Local Memphis.
“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,” she said.
Justin Timberlake is one of a few million voters who have cast early ballots in a number of states.
In his Instagram caption, he wrote to his 37 million followers: “No excuses, my good people!
“There could be early voting in your town too. If not, November 8th! Choose to have a voice! If you don’t, then we can’t HEAR YOU! Get out and VOTE!”
Any charge would have been considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a fine of $50, or both.
Adam Ghassemi, a spokesman for the Tennessee Secretary of State, said people should only use their phones for help with voting.
But he added that officials are “thrilled Justin can’t stop the feeling” – which is a reference to the title of the singer’s latest song.
Justin Timberlake also took a few moments outside the polling booth to snap some selfies with his fans.
It is illegal to take a photograph in a voting booth in 18 states, according to the Associated Press.
However, it is legal to take a photo in about 20 states and the District of Columbia.
On October 24, a federal court sided with a Michigan man who said the law there that bans voters from taking pictures of their marked ballots and sharing them on social media violated his constitutional right to free speech.
In response, the court halted enforcement of the law.
Also on October 24, two voters in Colorado filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn a state law that criminalized showing a completed ballot to others, arguing the ban was unconstitutional.