What's happening
This bill requires all electronic income tax preparation software in New York to provide users with a link to the state’s voter registration website.
Why it matters
Expands Access to Voter Registration. By requiring a voter registration link in all electronic tax prep software, the bill targets a moment when millions of New Yorkers are already engaging with government systems, potentially increasing voter registration rates among groups who might otherwise miss traditional outreach.
Promotes Civic Engagement via Everyday Processes. Integrating voter registration prompts into tax software leverages a routine annual activity to remind or encourage people to engage in the democratic process, helping to normalize and streamline civic participation.
Creates Responsibility for Private Sector Software. The mandate places a new compliance requirement on companies offering tax software in New York, potentially influencing product design and user experience, and ensuring the private sector plays a role in facilitating voter access.
Potential for Broader Policy Precedent. If successful, this approach could serve as a model for integrating voter registration with other digital government interactions, inspiring similar laws in other states or for other types of online services.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Tax Software Links to Voting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Link Tax Prep to Voting
In Senate Committee · Investigations And Government Operations · Sponsor Roxanne J. Persaud
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2031
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the tax law and the election law, in relation to requiring tax preparation software to provide a link to voter registration websites
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 171 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivision twenty-ninth to read as follows:
Twenty-ninth. Require that all electronic income tax preparation software offered for sale or use in the state of New York include a prompt providing a link to users of such software to a New York state voter registration application website pursuant to section 5-231 of the election law.
§ 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-231 to read as follows:
§ 5-231. Electronic income tax voter registration. The department of taxation and finance, in consultation with the state board of elections, shall require that all electronic income tax preparation software offered for sale or use in the state of New York include a prompt to users of such software which shall provide a link to a New York state voter registration application website.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00928-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.