What's happening
This bill expands agency-assisted voter registration to include public libraries, local housing authorities, and public high schools.
Why it matters
Broadens access to voter registration. by leveraging widely used community institutions like public libraries, local housing authorities, and public high schools—potentially reaching people who may not interact with existing registration agencies.
Targets underrepresented groups. such as young adults, lower-income individuals, and renters, by requiring high schools and housing authorities to provide registration forms, which could reduce gaps in voter participation.
Integrates civic engagement into everyday activities. (e.g., getting a library card or graduating high school), which may normalize and simplify the registration process, leading to higher registration and turnout rates over time.
Empowers local agencies and schools with new responsibilities. for voter outreach, which could foster a stronger culture of civic involvement at the community level and help demystify the voting process for first-time voters.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Add Voter Registration Sites
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to election law
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Register Voters at Libraries, Schools
In Senate Committee · Elections · Sponsor Michael Gianaris
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8571
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
July 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH, COLTON, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, M. G. MILLER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to designating additional participating agencies for purposes of agency assisted voter registration
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law, as amended by chapter 265 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
Each agency designated as a participating agency under the provisions of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution of voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this section. The following offices which provide public assistance and/or provide state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities are hereby designated as voter registration agencies: designated as the state agencies which provide public assistance are the office of children and family services, the office of temporary and disability assistance and the department of health. Also designated as public assistance agencies are all agencies of local government that provide such assistance. Designated as state agencies that provide programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabilities are the department of labor, office for the aging, division of veterans' affairs, office of mental health, office of vocational and educational services for individuals with disabilities, commission on quality of care for the mentally disabled, office [of mental retardation and] for people with developmental disabilities, commission for the blind, office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the office of the advocate for the disabled and all offices which administer programs established or funded by such agencies. Additional state agencies designated as voter registration offices are the department of state and the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02827-01-7
A. 8571 2
division of workers' compensation. Such agencies shall be required to offer voter registration forms to persons upon initial application for services, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services. Such agencies shall also be responsible for providing assistance to applicants in completing voter registration forms, receiving and transmitting the completed application form from all applicants who wish to have such form transmitted to the appropriate board of elections. The state board of elections shall, together with representatives of the department of defense, develop and implement procedures for including recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United States as voter registration offices when such offices are so designated by federal law. The state board shall also make request of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to include applications for registration by mail with any materials which are given to new citizens. All institutions of the state university of New York and the city university of New York, shall, at the beginning of the school year, and again in January of a year in which the president of the United States is to be elected, provide an application for registration to each student in each such institution. The state board of elections may, by regulation, grant a waiver from any or all of the requirements of this section to any office or program of an agency, if it determines that it is not feasible for such office or program to administer such requirement. Also designated as participating agencies are all public libraries, which shall be required to offer voter registration forms to persons eighteen years of age or older upon initial application for a library card. Also designated as participating agencies are all local housing authorities, which shall be required to offer voter registration forms to persons upon initial application for services or recertification for services. Also designated as participating agencies are all public high schools, which shall be required to offer voter registration forms to all seniors upon their graduation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided that the state board of elections is authorized to promulgate any rules necessary to implement this act on or before its effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.