‘Stemfie’ not allowed in Belgium

It is gradually becoming a craze in the Netherlands, but in Belgium the so-called ‘stemfie’ – a photo taken of oneself in the voting booth – is prohibited. "Anyone who takes a photo of himself or his ballot risks a fine of up to €3,000," Peter Grouwels of the Ministry of the Interior told brusselnieuws.be.

Earlier this month, the court in The Hague ruled that it was not forbidden in the Netherlands to snap a photo in the voting booth and then share it on social media. In Belgium, the stemfie is forbidden in order to avoid putting added pressure on voters.

“It defeats the whole purpose of the voting booth and secret ballot system,” said Grouwels. “Nobody should see who you voted for.”

In the case of violations, the police may be asked to intervene and can impose a fine of up to €3,000. In addition to the secret ballot law, the stemfie also violates Article 203 of the Electoral Law which states that voters are not to stay in the booth longer than necessary.