This bill would create a taskforce that would study and report on the feasibility of allowing eligible New Yorkers to register to vote, and to update their voter registration information online. It would also study and report on the feasibility of agencies transmitting the information contained on voter registration forms to the Board of Elections for the purposes of registering a voter or updating a voter registration. The taskforce would consist of the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, the Corporation Counsel, a Mayoral designee who is an expert in election law, an appointee of the Board of Elections, and an appointee of the Speaker. It would be required to issue its findings and recommendations to the Mayor and Speaker in a report no later than one year after the enactment of the local law.
- Filed (End of Session)
History
Int. No. 549
By Council Members Williams, Chin, Johnson, Koo, Levine, Mendez, Rosenthal and Espinal
A Local Law to relation to creating a taskforce to study and report on the feasibility of implementing online and electronic voter registration in New York City.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Establishment and Composition of a Taskforce on Online and Electronic Voter Registration. There shall be a temporary taskforce on online and electronic voter registration in New York City (“the Taskforce”). The Taskforce shall be comprised of the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, or his or her designee; the Corporation Counsel, or his or her designee; one appointee of the Mayor who is an expert in New York election law; one appointee of the Board of Elections of the City of New York; and one appointee of the Speaker of the City Council. The Taskforce shall elect a chair from among its members.
§ 2. Powers and Responsibilities of the Taskforce. a. The Taskforce shall study, and make findings with respect to, the feasibility of implementing a system allowing eligible New York City residents to register to vote, and to update their voter registration information: (i) through the City’s website, without the required use of a state-issued identification card; and (ii) by giving permission to a City agency to do so on their behalf through electronic transmission of applicable information about the individual, including a signature, in the possession of such agency to the Board of Elections of the City of New York. The Taskforce shall consult with members of the public and good government groups as part of its study and evaluation of the feasibility of such a system. The first meeting of the Taskforce shall occur no later than sixty days after the effective date of this local law.
b. The Taskforce shall develop recommendations for implementing a system allowing eligible New York City residents to register to vote, and to update their voter registration information, through the means described in subdivision a of this section, if it makes a finding that such implementation is feasible with appropriate legislation and executive action. Such recommendations, if any, shall detail the legislative and executive actions necessary for such implementation.
c. The Taskforce shall report its findings and recommendations to the Mayor, Speaker of the Council, and Board of Elections of the City of New York no later than one year after the enactment of this local law, after which the taskforce shall be immediately dissolved.
§ 3. Agency Assistance and Cooperation with the Taskforce. Each agency required to participate in the agency-based voter registration law contained in section 1057-a of the New York city charter shall designate a liaison to work with the Taskforce, and shall provide the Taskforce with requested information and other assistance in the furtherance of the taskforce’s goals pursuant to subdivisions a and b of this section in a timely manner.
§ 4. This local law shall take effect immediately; provided that this local law shall expire and be deemed repealed upon the Taskforce’s reporting of its findings and recommendations to the Mayor, Speaker, and Board of Elections pursuant to subdivision c of section 2 of this local law.
dss
LS 2587/2014
10/22/14