S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6877
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. TORRES -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to requiring any student
   graduating from a high school in New York state  be  provided  with  a
   voter registration form
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new  section  5-232
 to read as follows:
   §  5-232. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 1. IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER
 METHOD OF VOTER REGISTRATION PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ARTICLE, EVERY  QUALI-
 FIED  PERSON  SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH AN APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AND
 ENROLLMENT UPON GRADUATION FROM ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN
 THE STATE. SUCH APPLICATION SHALL BE IN THE SAME FORM AS  PRESCRIBED  BY
 SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE.
   2.  A  SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH QUALIFIED PERSONS ARE GRADUATING SHALL
 TRANSMIT ANY COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION FORM TO  THE  APPRO-
 PRIATE  BOARD  OF ELECTIONS NOT LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER RECEIPT EXCEPT
 THAT ALL SUCH COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AND FORMS RECEIVED  BY  THE  SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS OR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AFTER THE TWENTIETH DAY PRIOR TO AN
 ELECTION  AND BY THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION SHALL BE TRANSMIT-
 TED IN SUCH MANNER AND AT SUCH TIME AS TO ASSURE THEIR RECEIPT  BY  SUCH
 BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AND NOT LATER THAN THE TENTH
 DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION. ALL TRANSMITTALS SHALL INCLUDE ORIGINAL SIGNA-
 TURES.
   3. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS RECEIVED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT LATER
 THAN THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE THE NEXT ENSUING PRIMARY, GENERAL OR SPECIAL
 ELECTION AND TRANSMITTED BY SUCH  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  TO  THE  APPROPRIATE
 BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SO THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED NOT LATER THAN THE TENTH
 DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION SHALL ENTITLE THE APPLICANT  TO  VOTE  IN  SUCH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09372-01-5
 A. 6877                             2
              

 
 ELECTION  PROVIDED  THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT THE APPLICANT IS OTHERWISE
 QUALIFIED.
   4.  DISCLOSURE OF VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION, INCLUDING A DECLINA-
 TION TO REGISTER, BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ITS  AGENTS  OR  EMPLOYEES,  FOR
 PURPOSES  OTHER  THAN  VOTER REGISTRATION SHALL BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED
 INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION
 TWO  OF SECTION EIGHTY-NINE OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW AND SHALL CONSTI-
 TUTE A VIOLATION OF THIS CHAPTER.
   5. APPLICATION FORMS SHALL BE PROCESSED BY THE BOARD OF  ELECTIONS  IN
 THE  MANNER  PRESCRIBED  BY SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE. THE BOARD SHALL
 SEND THE APPROPRIATE NOTICE OF APPROVAL  OR  REJECTION  AS  REQUIRED  BY
 SUBDIVISION NINE OF SUCH SECTION 5-210.
   6. STRICT NEUTRALITY WITH RESPECT TO A PERSON'S PARTY ENROLLMENT SHALL
 BE  MAINTAINED  AND  ALL  PERSONS  SEEKING  VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS AND
 INFORMATION SHALL BE ADVISED THAT GOVERNMENT  SERVICES  ARE  NOT  CONDI-
 TIONED ON BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE.
   7.  NO  STATEMENT SHALL BE MADE NOR ANY ACTION TAKEN TO DISCOURAGE THE
 APPLICANT FROM REGISTERING TO VOTE.
   8. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS
 AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS  SECTION.  THE
 BOARD SHALL ALSO ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO
 REQUIRE  COUNTY  BOARDS  AND  THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WITH SUCH INFORMATION AND  DATA  AS  THE  BOARD
 DEEMS  NECESSARY  TO  ASSESS COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION AND TO COMPILE
 SUCH STATISTICS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
   9. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL DEVELOP  AND  DISTRIBUTE  PUBLIC
 INFORMATION  AND  PROMOTIONAL  MATERIALS  RELATING  TO  THE PURPOSES AND
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
   10. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE  TO  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
 THE  PROGRAM AND SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING TRAINING PROGRAMS
 FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND  EACH  SCHOOL  DISTRICT
 INVOLVED IN SUCH PROGRAM.
   11.  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION SHALL TAKE ALL ACTIONS WHICH ARE
 NECESSARY AND PROPER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION. THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE PERSON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT  AS
 THE DEPARTMENT VOTER REGISTRATION COORDINATOR WHO WILL, UNDER THE DIREC-
 TION  OF  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS, BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VOTER
 REGISTRATION PROGRAM IN SUCH DEPARTMENT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, 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.