S1992-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

S1992-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1992                REVISED 5/3/13

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the election law, in relation to voter
pre-registration

PURPOSE: To allow those 16 and 17 years of age to pre-register to
vote.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: A new paragraph p is added to section 5-500 of
the election law that specifies for the addition of a space on a voter
registration form for pre-registering applicants.

The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-507 to allow a
person who is at least 16 years old and is otherwise qualified to
register to vote, to pre-register to vote with that voter
automatically registered upon reaching the age of eligibility.

Subsection two of the new section 5-507 requires local boards of
education to adopt policies to promote student voter registration and
pre-registration.

JUSTIFICATION: There are currently at least a dozen states that allow
16- and/or 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. The age 16 is a
sensible time for the DMV and high schools to collect information for
voter pre-registration, as it is the time when a significant amount of
people have their first interaction with the DMV, and it is an age
where school is still compulsory in New York. Pre-registration allows
this information to be collected at a convenient time for the
individual rather than making them return to the boards of elections
or a state agency when they reach eligible voting age.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2010 only 46.6% of eligible
New York voters between the ages of 18 and 24 were registered to vote
(the most recent data available). This percentage is likely to
increase when information is gathered to pre-register 16- and
17-year-olds, and then automatically registering young voters when
they reach an eligible voting age. Getting young people involved in
the election process allows them to form the habit of voting and
contribute to civic life early

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2011-12 - S.5256 - Referred to Elections

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect January 1, 2015.

S1992-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    1992

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections

  AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to voter pre-registration

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.    Paragraph  o  of  subdivision 4 of section 5-500 of the
  election law, as amended by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is  amended
  and a new paragraph p is added to read as follows:

    o.  A space for "remarks" regarding other facts required by this chap-
  ter to be recorded or appropriate to identify the voter[.];
    P. A SPACE FOR PRE-REGISTERING APPLICANTS TO RESPOND TO THE  FOLLOWING
  QUESTION: "ARE YOU AT LEAST 16 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MUST
  BE 18 YEARS OF AGE ON OR BEFORE ELECTION DAY TO VOTE, AND THAT UNTIL YOU
  REACH  THE  AGE  OF 18 YOUR REGISTRATION WILL BE MARKED AS 'PENDING' AND
  YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO CAST A BALLOT IN ANY ELECTION?"
    S 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-507 to read
  as follows:

    S 5-507. VOTER PRE-REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION ON  VOTER  PRE-REGISTRA-
  TION. 1. PRE-REGISTRATION.  A. A PERSON WHO IS AT LEAST SIXTEEN YEARS OF
  AGE  AND WHO IS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED TO REGISTER TO VOTE MAY PRE-REGISTER
  TO VOTE, AND SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED UPON REACHING THE AGE  OF
  ELIGIBILITY,  FOLLOWING  VERIFICATION OF THE PERSON'S QUALIFICATIONS AND
  ADDRESS.
    B. A PERSON WHO IS CURRENTLY (I) SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE ON THE DATE OF
  A PRIMARY ELECTION, (II) WHO WILL BE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE ON  THE  DATE
  OF  THE  GENERAL  ELECTION, AND (III) WHO IS OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE,
  MAY VOTE IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION.
    2. ENCOURAGEMENT OF STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION  AND  PRE-REGISTRATION.
  LOCAL  BOARDS  OF  EDUCATION  ARE  REQUIRED TO ADOPT POLICIES TO PROMOTE
  STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION  AND  PRE-REGISTRATION.  THESE  POLICIES  MAY

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03459-01-3

 S. 1992                             2

  INCLUDE  COLLABORATION  WITH COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS TO CONDUCT VOTER
  REGISTRATION  AND  PRE-REGISTRATION  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS.  COMPLETION  AND
  SUBMISSION  OF VOTER REGISTRATION OR PRE-REGISTRATION FORMS SHALL NOT BE
  A COURSE REQUIREMENT OR GRADED ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS.
    S  3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2015. Effective immediate-
  ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any  rules  or  regulations
  necessary  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are
  authorized to be made on or before such date.