BILL NUMBER: S478

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment
to section 1 of article 2 of the constitution, in relation to the voting
age

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To amend section 1 of article 2 of the constitution to lower the voting
age to 16.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends section 1 of article 2 of the constitution
to allow all persons seventeen years of age or older to vote in state
and local elections.

Section 2 of the bill sets the effective date.
              

 
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION:

The original version of this bill set the voting age at 17, the amended
version changes the age to 16.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently in the state of New York, sixteen year-olds are tasked with
many of the responsibilities of adulthood. Because they do not have the
rights to vote, sixteen year-olds have no input towards the government
that shapes their lives, no input as to who oversees the public schools
that 85% of them attend, no input as to who will make the crucial deci-
sions of the day, decisions that will affect their lives. Lowering the
voting age to sixteen, coupled with an opt-out registration system and a
targeted seminar in civics will not only respect the right to self-det-
ermination of this age group, but will greatly encourage youth turnout
and engagement which, from 1972 to 2012, dropped from 50% to 38%.
Research is clear that if one doesn't become a habitual voter by the
time they are 25 years old then it's unlikely that they will ever become
one. Lowering the voting age to 16 gives young voters the opportunity to
vote before they move out of the house or go off to college and will
foster the good habit of voting while the majority of people are still
living at home in a familiar environment with a parent or guardian.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.2272-A of 2019-2020 (Hoylman): Died in Judiciary
A.2800-A of 2019-2020 (Carroll): Died Judiciary
S.5645 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Referred to Attorney-General for Opinion
A.6840 of 2017-2018 (Carroll): Died in Judiciary

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect after the next succeeding general election of
members of the assembly, and, in conformity with section 1 of article 19
of the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of
such election.