S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2529

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 16, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. KAVANAGH, GALEF, ROBERTS, KEARNS, SCARBOROUGH,
  BUCHWALD, LUPARDO, CERETTO, ROSENTHAL, FAHY,  SEPULVEDA,  ENGLEBRIGHT,
  ABINANTI,  STIRPE,  COLTON  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CAHILL,
  CLARK, GOTTFRIED, HIKIND, RUSSELL, SCHIMEL, SKARTADOS, SOLAGES -- 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  ASSEM-
BLY, 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 chap-
ter 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
REACH  THE  AGE  OF 18 YOUR REGISTRATION WILL BE MARKED AS 'PENDING' AND
YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO CAST A BALLOT IN ANY ELECTION?".
  S 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-507 to read
as follows:
  S 5-507. VOTER PRE-REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION ON  VOTER  PRE-REGISTRA-
TION.  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, FOLLOWING VERIFICATION OF THE PERSON'S  QUALIFICATIONS  AND
ADDRESS.
  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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD03809-02-5
              

A. 2529                             2

SUBMISSION OF VOTER REGISTRATION OR PRE-REGISTRATION FORMS SHALL NOT  BE
A COURSE REQUIREMENT OR GRADED ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS.
  S  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective  immediate-
ly,  the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
authorized to be made on or before such date.