This is why taking a selfie in a polling station could cost you £5,000

THERE are plenty of us who love to document our days with a cheeky selfie here and there, but if you choose to snap away tomorrow you could be in for a hefty fine.

The Electoral Commission are so concerned that a sneaky snap at a polling station would breach another voters privacy that they are urging staff to prevent the self-portraits being taken.

It is not against the law to document the moment with a photo but it is unwise.

If your picture inadvertently reveals the vote of another person, you could face a fine of £5,000 or even six months behid bars.

Staff at the polling stations have been prepped ready to intercept any sneaky selfies with training available on what taking a selfie actually is.

An electoral services manager at an East of England local authority told the : "We have told staff that if they see anyone taking a photograph they should ask the person to delete it but not try to wrestle the phone out of their hands.

"It would depend on exactly what they were taking a photograph of. We have told them to take a note of the names and addresses of anyone doing it. But we would not necessarily call the police."

The Electoral Commission issued guidance to its administrators explaining that the law around the issue was complex.

It said: "Given the risk that someone taking a photo inside a polling station may be in breach of the law, whether intentionally or not, our advice is that you should not allow photos to be taken inside polling stations."

You also may be surprised to learn that you don't have to use an X to cast your vote on the ballot paper.