NY State Senate Bill S138

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to elections
Jan 09, 2019	referred to elections

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S138 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §5-500, add §5-507, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S5256
2013-2014: S1992
2015-2016: S857
2017-2018: S1661

S138 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to voter pre-registration and education on voter pre-registration.

S138 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S138

SPONSOR: CARLUCCI
 
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:

Section 1. Amends paragraph o of subdivision 4 of section 5-500 of the
election law and adds a new paragraph p that provide for the addition of
a space on a voter registration form for pre-registering applicants.

Section 2. Adds a new section 5-507 to the election law to allow a
person who is at least 16 years old and is otherwise qualified to regis-
ter to vote, to pre-register to vote with that voter becoming automat-
ically registered upon reaching the age of eligibility. This section

also requires local boards of education to adopt policies to promote
student voter registration and pre-registration.

Section 3. Effective date.

 
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-registra-
tion, 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:

2017-18: S1661/A9609 - ELECTIONS/advanced to third reading
2015-16:  S845/A2529 - Elections/Reported to Ways and Means
2014:  S1992-B/A2042-13 - Elections/Passed Assembly
2013: S1992-A/A2042-A - 3rd Reading Calendar/Passed Assembly
2011-12:  S5256/A7440 - Elections/Election Law

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S138 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                   138

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced   by  Sens.  CARLUCCI,  ADDABBO,  BAILEY,  BRESLIN,  HOYLMAN,
  KAVANAGH, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, PARKER, SAVINO, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO -- 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?".
  § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-507 to read
as follows:
  §  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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04590-02-9

S. 138                              2

SUBMISSION  OF VOTER REGISTRATION OR PRE-REGISTRATION FORMS SHALL NOT BE
A COURSE REQUIREMENT OR GRADED ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS.
  §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective  immediate-
ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S138

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

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Co-Sponsors

S138 (ACTIVE) - Details

S138 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S138 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S138 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S138

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Co-Sponsors

S138 (ACTIVE) - Details

S138 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S138 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S138 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments