What's happening
This bill allows 16- and 17-year-olds in New York to pre-register to vote and encourages voter registration education in high schools.
Why it matters
Expands civic engagement early. By allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register, the bill aims to foster a habit of political participation and awareness before individuals reach voting age, potentially leading to higher long-term voter turnout.
Standardizes pre-registration process. The law requires that voter registration forms include a specific section for pre-registration, ensuring clarity for young applicants and making the process more accessible and understandable.
Integrates voter education into schools. Mandating that local boards of education promote voter registration and pre-registration—potentially through partnerships with county boards of elections—could help demystify the voting process and empower students with practical knowledge about civic responsibilities.
Protects student autonomy. The legislation explicitly prohibits making voter registration or pre-registration a graded assignment or course requirement, ensuring that participation remains voluntary and not coercive within educational settings.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Teens Pre-Register to Vote
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
40 Co-sponsors
- Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
- Fredrick J. Akshar II
- Jamaal Bailey
- Brian Benjamin
- Alessandra Biaggi
- Neil D. Breslin
- John E. Brooks
- Leroy Comrie
- Simcha Felder
- Jim Gaughran
- Michael Gianaris
- Andrew Gounardes
- Pete Harckham
- Brad Hoylman-Sigal
- Robert Jackson
- Todd Kaminsky
- Anna Kaplan
- Brian Kavanagh
- Timothy M. Kennedy
- Liz Krueger
- John Liu
- Monica Martinez
- Rachel May
- Shelley Mayer
- Jen Metzger
- Velmanette Montgomery
- Zellnor Myrie
- Kevin S. Parker
- Roxanne J. Persaud
- Jessica Ramos
- Gustavo Rivera
- Julia Salazar
- James Sanders Jr.
- Diane J. Savino
- Luis R. Sepúlveda
- José M. Serrano
- James Skoufis
- Toby Ann Stavisky
- Andrea Stewart-Cousins
- Kevin Thomas
History
- Substituted by A774
- Ordered to third reading cal.6
- Reported and committed to rules
- Referred to elections
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.
Allow 16-Year-Olds Pre-Register
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Charles Lavine
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 1100 A. 774
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2019
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sens. CARLUCCI, ADDABBO, BAILEY, BENJAMIN, BIAGGI, BRESLIN, BROOKS, COMRIE, GAUGHRAN, GIANARIS, GOUNARDES, HARCK- HAM, HOYLMAN, JACKSON, KAMINSKY, KAPLAN, KAVANAGH, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, LIU, MARTINEZ, MAY, MAYER, METZGER, MONTGOMERY, MYRIE, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SANDERS, SAVINO, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS, STAVISKY, STEWART-COUSINS, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, GALEF, BUCHWALD, LUPARDO, L. ROSENTHAL, FAHY, ENGLEBRIGHT, ABINANTI, STIRPE, LIFTON, DINOWITZ, BLAKE, ZEBROWSKI, SIMON, JAFFEE, COLTON, WALKER, ORTIZ, EPSTEIN, BURKE, CARROLL, CRUZ, EICHENSTEIN, FALL, FRONTUS, GLICK, GRIFFIN, HEASTIE, JACOBSON, McMAHON, OTIS, RAYNOR, REYES, WEINSTEIN -- Multi- Sponsored by -- M. of A. LENTOL, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
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 Assembly, 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 chapter 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 will be eighteen years of age at the time of such election your registration will be marked 'pending' and you will be unable to cast a ballot in any election?".
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04590-03-9
S. 1100 2 A. 774
§ 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-registration. 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 as provided by this chapter.
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.
§ 3. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 5 of section 5-210 of the election law, as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
(g) Notice that the applicant must be a citizen of the United States, [is or will be at least eighteen years old not later than December thirty-first of the calendar year in which he or she registers] is at least sixteen years old when he or she submits an application to register to vote which will be effective for elections occurring on or after the applicant turns eighteen years of age and a resident of the county or city to which application is made.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January 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.
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 voter pre-registration
Purpose
This bill amends the election law 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 provides 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 said individual becoming auto- matically 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. Amends paragraph g of subdivision 5 of section 5-210 of the election law to state that an applicant is at least sixteen years old when he or she submits an application to register to vote which will be effective for elections occurring on or after the applicant turns eigh- teen years of age.
Section 4. Effective date.
Justification
There are currently at least thirteen 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 - Died in Elections/ Died Assembly 3rd Reading Calendar 2015-16: S857/A2529 - Died in Elections/Died Assembly Third reading Calendar. 2014: S1992-B/A2042-13 - Died in Elections/Passed Assembly 2013: S1992-A/A2042-A - Died on 3rd Reading Calendar/Passed Assembly
Fiscal implications
a
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.