A bill filed in the North Carolina Senate Tuesday, known as "Equalize Voter Rights," would carry a tax penalty for parents whose children register to vote at their college address, reports WRAL.

"If the voter is a dependent of the voter's parent or legal guardian, is 18 years of age or older and the voter has registered at an address other than that of the parent or legal guardian, the parent or legal guardian will not be allowed to claim the voter as a dependent for state income tax purposes," the bill says.


Senate Bill 667, sponsored by Republican Bill Cook, would also require voters to have their vehicles registered at the same address as their voter registration. That also could cut down on college student registration, since many students maintain their vehicle registration in their home counties.

House Minority Leader Larry Hall said the bill "would raise taxes on middle-class families who are trying to put their children through college.”

“I refuse to believe the Republican leadership has become so desperate to limit voting for partisan gain that they would be willing to support tax increases to achieve that goal," said Hall. "It is the definition of arrogance to penalize parents with new taxes just because their children want to exercise their right to vote in the community they live in.”

A larger omnibus bill, Senate Bill 666, would include the above as well as shorten early voting days, ban early voting on evenings and weekends and prohibit same-day registration.