What's happening
This bill requires SUNY and CUNY schools to distribute and assist with voter registration and absentee ballot forms, and allows private colleges to participate.
Why it matters
Expands access to voting for college students by making it easier to register and request absentee ballots directly through SUNY, CUNY, and participating private colleges. This could boost youth voter turnout, potentially influencing election outcomes and policy priorities.
Requires colleges to proactively distribute voter registration and absentee ballot forms at multiple key moments (not just enrollment, but also when students participate in activities, use facilities, renew services, or change addresses). This increases the chances that busy or transient students don’t miss opportunities to get registered and vote.
Mandates that colleges not only provide forms but also help students fill them out if needed, reducing barriers for first-time voters or those unfamiliar with the process. This could make the registration process more accessible, especially for students from out of state or diverse backgrounds.
Allows private colleges to opt in, potentially broadening the impact across more campuses and student populations, while standardizing assistance across institutions. This voluntary inclusion could set a precedent for other states and college systems to follow.
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Who cares
SUNY and CUNY institutions
The bill would designate all campuses as participating voter registration agencies, requiring them to offer registration forms, help applicants complete them and transmit completed forms to election boards.
Independent degree-granting colleges
Eligible institutions could opt in by filing notice with the State Board of Elections, taking on voter registration duties and requirements to offer absentee ballot applications and assistance.
SUNY students and other campus applicants
The bill would require SUNY institutions to offer absentee ballot applications alongside registration forms in covered transactions and help people complete absentee ballot applications.
Participating agencies and their service users
The bill would expand voter registration offers to applications, renewals and address changes involving participation in activities or use of facilities, beyond applications for services.
Headline styles
Register Voters at Public Universities
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2316
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- 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 designating the state and city universities of New York as participating agencies for voter registration form distribution and assistance, and permitting independent institutions of higher education to do the same upon request
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, the department of family 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 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. Addi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03430-02-7
S. 2316 2
tional [state] participating agencies designated as voter registration offices are the department of state [and], the [division] district offices of the workers' compensation board, and all institutions of the state university of New York and the city university of New York; and any degree-granting institution of higher education described in articles one hundred fifteen, one hundred twenty-one, one hundred twentythree, one hundred twenty-six and one hundred twenty-nine of title VII of the education law which elects to be a participating agency by filing with the state board of elections a notice in which it makes such an election. Such agencies shall be required to offer voter registration forms to persons upon initial application for services, for participation in activities or for use of facilities, and upon renewal or recertification for services, participation in activities or use of facilities, and upon change of address relating to such services, participation in activities or use of facilities of the agencies. 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 United States 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 of elections shall also make request of the United States [Immigration and Naturalization Service] Citizenship and Immigration Services 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.
§ 2. Subdivision 4 of section 5-211 of the election law, as added by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
4. Each participating agency shall provide to each applicant who does not decline to register to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the completion of the registration application form as is provided by the agency with regard to the completion of its own form unless the applicant refuses such assistance. All institutions of the state university of New York and all degree-granting institutions of higher education described in articles one hundred fifteen, one hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-three, one hundred twenty-six and one hundred twenty-nine of title VII of the education law which have elected to be participating agencies pursuant to the opening paragraph of this section shall also provide such level of assistance to each person who wishes to complete an application for an absentee ballot.
§ 3. The opening paragraph of subdivision 8 of section 5-211 of the election law, as amended by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
Each participating agency, department, division or office that makes available voter registration forms or absentee ballot applications, or both, pursuant to this section shall offer with each application for the services or assistance, participation in activities or use of facilities
S. 2316 3
of such agency, department, division or office and with each recertification, renewal or change of address form relating to such service or assistance, participation in activities or use of facilities, a registration form together with instructions relating to eligibility to register and for completing the form except that forms used by the department of [social services] family assistance for the initial application for services, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services shall physically incorporate a voter registration application in a fashion that permits the voter registration portion of the agency form to be detached therefrom. All institutions of the state university of New York and all degree-granting institutions of higher education described in articles one hundred fifteen, one hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-three, one hundred twenty-six and one hundred twenty-nine of title VII of the education law which have elected to be participating agencies pursuant to the opening paragraph of this section shall also offer each such applicant an application for an absentee ballot. Such voter registration application shall be designed so as to ensure the confidentiality of the source of the application. Included on each participating agency's application for services or assistance or on a separate form shall be:
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law, provided however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to designating the state and city universities of New York as participating agencies for voter registration form distribution and assistance, and permitting independent institutions of higher education to do the same upon request
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require the State and City Universities of New York (SUNY and CUNY) and any other College or University that chooses to participate, to provide voter registration forms and absentee ballots upon requests. And for these locations to assist in completion of these documents. These locations will also have the Proper documents when needed for a change of address.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: amends the opening paragraph of section 5-211 of the election law to include SUNY, CUNY and participating schools as additional locations providing voter registration forms.
Section 2: amends subdivision 4 of section 5-211 of the election law to include SUNY, CUNY and participating schools as additional locations providing absentee ballot forms.
Justification
Chapter 659 of the laws of 1994 is commonly referred to as the "Motor Voter" law. "Motor-Voter" is credited for registering 315,778 new votes for 1995,. However, of the 16 participating agencies, none specifically served or targeted young voters. Individuals, aged 18 to 30, have been labeled "Generation H. Unfortunately the original Motor-Voter bill passed by the legislature fell short of delivering Motor-Voter access for many of this age group. Many 18 to 30 year old students are enrolled in some part of the New York State higher education system. These students are not a special interest group, nor do they desire to become one. This bill would include SUNY and CUNY as "Motor-Voter" agencies. SUNY and CUNY are "taxpayer funded", no different than the current 16 "Motor-voter" agencies. The State has a responsibility to encourage participation in the electoral process.
Legislative history
2009-10: A.837- Referred to Election Law 2007-08: A.1168- Advanced to 3rd Reading, Cal.703 2005-0E: A.1420 - Advanced to 3rd Reading, Ca1.71 2003-04: A.2971- Reported to Rules 2001-02: A.1180- Advanced to 3rd Reading, Cal.329 1999-00: A.1993 - Referred to Election Law
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This Act shall take effect on the 120th day after it has become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.