Lawsuit seeks to block New York ban on 'ballot selfies'

A federal lawsuit is challenging a New York state law that makes it a misdemeanor to show a marked election ballot to others.

The lawsuit filed late Wednesday in Manhattan federal court seeks to have the law banning so-called "ballot selfies" declared unconstitutional.

The lawsuit said publishing a voted ballot on social media can be a powerful form of political expression. It says that someone claiming they voted without photographic proof reduces the credibility of the individual.

Attorney Leo Glickman said the lawsuit is consistent with claims made in Michigan, Indiana and New Hampshire, where similar laws have been struck down.

A message seeking comment from the New York attorney general's office was not immediately returned.