What's happening
This bill allows 16- and 17-year-olds in New York to register to vote, lowering the voter registration age from 18.
Why it matters
Expanding registration opportunities to 16- and 17-year-olds could help instill civic habits earlier. , potentially leading to higher lifetime voter participation rates as individuals become eligible to vote at 18.
Younger registrants can be engaged in civics education and outreach while still in high school. , making it easier for schools and community organizations to facilitate the registration process and promote informed citizenship.
By lowering the registration age but not the voting age, the bill creates a pre-registration system. , allowing election officials more time to process new voters and reducing last-minute surges in registration, which could improve administrative efficiency and accuracy.
This change may help close demographic gaps in voter rolls. , as many young people currently miss early opportunities to register, particularly those who move for college or work immediately after turning 18.
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Who cares
Sixteen- and seventeen-year-old U.S. citizens
The bill would allow them to register to vote at age 16, subject to the county or city residency requirement, without changing the voting age.
Election officials
They would need to update the registration application notice to state that applicants must be at least 16 when they submit an application.
Youth voter registration organizations
They could help eligible teenagers register starting at age 16 rather than waiting until the calendar year in which they turn 18.
Headline styles
Let 16-Year-Olds Register
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
739
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, COMRIE -- 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 authorizing persons sixteen years of age or older to register to vote
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 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] at least sixteen years old when he or she submits an application to register to vote and a resident of the county or city to which application is made.
§ 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03061-01-9
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 authorizing persons sixteen years of age or older to register to vote
Purpose
Authorizes persons at least 16 years of age to submit an application to register to vote.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends paragraph (g) of subdivision 5 of § 5-210 of the election law to provide that an applicant who submits a applicant to register to vote must be at least 16 years of age at the time of submission.
Section 2 provides an effective date of July 1, 2017.
Justification
Under current law, a 17-year-old may submit an application to register to vote if he or she will turn 18 in the calendar year in which he or she registers. This bill would expand that ability to all 16-Year-olds. A registered voter's eligibility to cast a ballot will continue to commence on the voter's 18th birthday. Expanding the application period will allow more New Yorkers to register to vote when they apply for their first senior driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Any driver with a junior license who has successfully completed a driver education course is eligible to apply for a senior license. It will also make it possible to enroll more voters while they are still students, thereby increasing the likelihood of lifelong civic engagement and strengthening our democracy.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.