Photo of the ballot paper? The risk is a hefty fine. Three complaints in the province of Naples

In the province of Naples three people were reported for taking a photo of the ballot paper after voting: here's what you risk by violating the law

BOLOGNA – Taking a photo inside the voting booth is a crime, and is punished by imprisonment for three to six months and a fine of 300 to 1000 euros. This is provided for by the 2008 law relating to ‘urgent measures aimed at ensuring the secrecy of the expression of votes in electoral and referendum consultations’. The passage is this: “In electoral or referendum consultations, it is forbidden to introduce mobile phones or other equipment capable of photographing or recording images inside the voting booths”, under penalty of arrest from three to six months and a fine of 300 to 1000 euros”.

THE THREE COMPLAINTS IN THE NEAPOLITAN

In the past few hours, in the province of Naples, three people have been reported for having taken a photograph of the ballot where they had just drawn the sign to vote. The members of the electoral commission who always noticed a ‘click’ coming from the booth noticed that a photograph had been taken. Evidently the accused had not even been careful to silence the phone.

The first report was in Marano, in the polling station of the “Massimo D’Azeglio” Institute, via Piave, where a 45-year-old was reported. Another complaint was in Saviano at the polling station set up in the elementary school in via Cimitero: it is a 28-year-old. Finally, a 59-year-old was reported in Carbonara di Nola (at the primary school station in via Rainone.

THE PHONE OUTSIDE THE VOTING-BOOTH

The 2008 law explains that the telephone must not enter the voting booth. It reads: “The president of the section electoral office, upon presentation of the identification document and electoral card by the voter, invites the voter to deposit the equipment he/she currently has possession“. And again: “The equipment deposited by the voter, taken over by the president of the section electoral office together with the identification document and the electoral card, are returned to the voter after casting the vote. delivery and the return is recorded in a special register“.