S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  6075

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            October 26, 2015
                               ___________

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

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

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

  Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 14 and 15 of section 5-212 of the  election
law, as added by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, are amended to read as
follows:
  1.  In addition to any other method of voter registration provided for
in this article, any qualified person may  apply  for  registration  and
enrollment EITHER by application made simultaneously and integrated with
an  application for a motor vehicle driver's license, a driver's license
renewal or an identification card if  such  a  card  is  issued  by  the
department  of motor vehicles in its normal course of business OR BY THE
DEPARTMENT  OF  MOTOR  VEHICLES  PROVIDING  THE  APPROPRIATE  BOARD   OF
ELECTIONS  WITH ELECTRONIC RECORDS OF EACH PERSON WHO QUALIFIES TO VOTE,
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWELVE-A OF THIS SECTION.
  14. The state board shall develop and  distribute  public  information
and promotional materials relating to the purposes and implementation of
[this program] THESE PROGRAMS.
  15.  The state board shall prepare and distribute to the department of
motor vehicles written instructions as to  the  implementation  of  [the
program] THESE PROGRAMS and shall be responsible for establishing train-
ing  programs for employees of the department of motor vehicles involved
in such [program] PROGRAMS.
  S 2. Section 5-212 of the election law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 12-a to read as follows:
  12-A.  IN  ADDITION  TO COMPLETING AN APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AND
ENROLLMENT BY APPLICATION, A PERSON MAY ALSO BE REGISTERED  TO  VOTE  IN
THE FOLLOWING MANNER:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10693-02-5
              

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  (A)  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MOTOR VEHICLES SHALL ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE BY
WHICH IT PROVIDES TO THE STATE BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  ELECTRONIC  RECORDS
CONTAINING  THE  LEGAL  NAME, AGE, RESIDENCE AND CITIZENSHIP INFORMATION
FOR, AND THE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE OF, EACH PERSON WHO  IS  QUALIFIED  TO
VOTE UNDER SECTION 5-102 OF THIS ARTICLE.
  (B) UPON RECEIVING THE ELECTRONIC RECORD FOR, AND ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE
OF,  A  PERSON DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE STATE
BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROVIDE  THE  INFORMATION  TO  THE  APPROPRIATE
COUNTY  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  IN WHICH THE PERSON MAY BE REGISTERED AS A
VOTER. THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL SEND EACH  PERSON
A NOTIFICATION DIRECTING HIM OR HER TO:
  (I) DECLINE BEING REGISTERED AS A VOTER; OR
  (II) ADOPT A POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION.
  (C)  IF A PERSON NOTIFIED UNDER PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION DOES
NOT DECLINE TO BE REGISTERED AS A VOTER WITHIN TWENTY-ONE CALENDAR  DAYS
AFTER  THE  COUNTY  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  ISSUES  THE  NOTIFICATION, THE
PERSON'S ELECTRONIC RECORD  AND  ELECTRONIC  SIGNATURE  SUBMITTED  UNDER
PARAGRAPH  (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION WILL CONSTITUTE A COMPLETED REGISTRA-
TION APPLICATION FOR THE PERSON FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION.    THE
PERSON  SHALL  BE  REGISTERED  TO  VOTE IF THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
DETERMINES THAT THE PERSON IS QUALIFIED  TO  VOTE  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
5-102 OF THIS ARTICLE, AND THE PERSON IS NOT ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE.
  (D)  A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS MAY NOT SEND A BALLOT TO, OR ADD TO A
VOTER REGISTRATION LIST, A PERSON  WHO  MEETS  ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS
UNTIL  AT  LEAST  TWENTY-ONE  CALENDAR  DAYS  AFTER  THE COUNTY BOARD OF
ELECTIONS PROVIDED NOTIFICATION TO THE PERSON AS DESCRIBED IN  PARAGRAPH
(B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
  S  3.    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 4. 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 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.
  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
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 5. This act shall take effect immediately;  provided,  however  that
section  one of this act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it
shall have become a law; and section two of this act shall  take  effect
on  the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have

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become a law. Effective immediately, the commissioner of motor  vehicles
and  the  commissioners of the state board of elections shall promulgate
rules  and  regulations  necessary  or  appropriate  to  carry  out  the
provisions of this act.