NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5639

Senate Bill S5639

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires any student graduating from a high school in New York state be provided with a voter registration form

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions (1)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 26, 2025	referred to elections

2025-S5639 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6877
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add §5-232, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S8827, A10309

2025-S5639 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires any student graduating from a high school in New York state be provided with a voter registration form.

2025-S5639 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5639

SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring any student
graduating from a high school in New York state be provided with a voter
registration form

 
PURPOSE:

To require the state board of education and local boards of elections to
provide graduating high school students with a voter registration appli-
cation and information.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends the Election Law by adding a new section
5232.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Although school districts throughout New York organize voter registra-
tion drives and provide information regarding how and where to register
to vote, there is no statutory requirement under New York State law for
school districts in the state to provide eligible students matriculated
within a school district with:

(1) information regarding their eligibility to pre-register to vote,

(2) information regarding where and how to register,

(3) information regarding where and how to vote,

(4) a voter registration application.  The intent of this legislation is
to require that the state board of education in conjunction with local
boards of elections provide school boards with information materials and
voter registration applications to graduating high school students of
voting age to register for general elections, and to those who are
eligible to pre-register to vote in primary elections, for local, state-
wide, or federal elections.

In order for democracy to thrive, it is critical that all eligible citi-
zens participate in the right to vote. In New York State, voter regis-
tration is instrumental in ensuring all those who are eligible to vote
can vote.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S8827A - Passed Senate

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become law.

2025-S5639 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5639
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 26, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BAILEY -- 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 requiring  any  student
   graduating  from  a  high  school in New York state be provided with a
   voter registration form

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-232
 to read as follows:
   § 5-232. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 1. IN ADDITION TO ANY  OTHER
 METHOD  OF VOTER REGISTRATION PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ARTICLE, EVERY QUALI-
 FIED PERSON SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH AN APPLICATION FOR  REGISTRATION  AND
 ENROLLMENT UPON GRADUATION FROM ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN
 THE  STATE.  SUCH APPLICATION SHALL BE IN THE SAME FORM AS PRESCRIBED BY
 SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE.
   2. A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH QUALIFIED PERSONS ARE  GRADUATING  SHALL
 TRANSMIT  ANY  COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION FORM TO THE APPRO-
 PRIATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS NOT LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER  RECEIPT  EXCEPT
 THAT  ALL  SUCH  COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AND FORMS RECEIVED BY THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS OR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AFTER THE TWENTIETH DAY PRIOR TO AN
 ELECTION AND BY THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION SHALL BE  TRANSMIT-
 TED  IN  SUCH MANNER AND AT SUCH TIME AS TO ASSURE THEIR RECEIPT BY SUCH
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AND NOT LATER THAN  THE  TENTH
 DAY BEFORE SUCH ELECTION. ALL TRANSMITTALS SHALL INCLUDE ORIGINAL SIGNA-
 TURES.
   3. COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS RECEIVED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT LATER
 THAN THE TWELFTH DAY BEFORE THE NEXT ENSUING PRIMARY, GENERAL OR SPECIAL
 ELECTION  AND  TRANSMITTED  BY  SUCH  SCHOOL DISTRICT TO THE APPROPRIATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS SO THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED NOT LATER  THAN  THE  TENTH
 DAY  BEFORE  SUCH  ELECTION  SHALL ENTITLE THE APPLICANT TO VOTE IN SUCH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09372-01-5
 S. 5639                             2

 
 ELECTION PROVIDED THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT THE APPLICANT  IS  OTHERWISE
 QUALIFIED.
   4.  DISCLOSURE OF VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION, INCLUDING A DECLINA-
 TION TO REGISTER, BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ITS  AGENTS  OR  EMPLOYEES,  FOR
 PURPOSES  OTHER  THAN  VOTER REGISTRATION SHALL BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED
 INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION
 TWO  OF SECTION EIGHTY-NINE OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW AND SHALL CONSTI-
 TUTE A VIOLATION OF THIS CHAPTER.
   5. APPLICATION FORMS SHALL BE PROCESSED BY THE BOARD OF  ELECTIONS  IN
 THE  MANNER  PRESCRIBED  BY SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE. THE BOARD SHALL
 SEND THE APPROPRIATE NOTICE OF APPROVAL  OR  REJECTION  AS  REQUIRED  BY
 SUBDIVISION NINE OF SUCH SECTION 5-210.
   6. STRICT NEUTRALITY WITH RESPECT TO A PERSON'S PARTY ENROLLMENT SHALL
 BE  MAINTAINED  AND  ALL  PERSONS  SEEKING  VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS AND
 INFORMATION SHALL BE ADVISED THAT GOVERNMENT  SERVICES  ARE  NOT  CONDI-
 TIONED ON BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE.
   7.  NO  STATEMENT SHALL BE MADE NOR ANY ACTION TAKEN TO DISCOURAGE THE
 APPLICANT FROM REGISTERING TO VOTE.
   8. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS
 AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS  SECTION.  THE
 BOARD SHALL ALSO ADOPT SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO
 REQUIRE  COUNTY  BOARDS  AND  THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WITH SUCH INFORMATION AND  DATA  AS  THE  BOARD
 DEEMS  NECESSARY  TO  ASSESS COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION AND TO COMPILE
 SUCH STATISTICS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
   9. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL DEVELOP  AND  DISTRIBUTE  PUBLIC
 INFORMATION  AND  PROMOTIONAL  MATERIALS  RELATING  TO  THE PURPOSES AND
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
   10. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE  TO  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
 THE  PROGRAM AND SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING TRAINING PROGRAMS
 FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND  EACH  SCHOOL  DISTRICT
 INVOLVED IN SUCH PROGRAM.
   11.  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION SHALL TAKE ALL ACTIONS WHICH ARE
 NECESSARY AND PROPER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION. THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE PERSON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT  AS
 THE DEPARTMENT VOTER REGISTRATION COORDINATOR WHO WILL, UNDER THE DIREC-
 TION  OF  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS, BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VOTER
 REGISTRATION PROGRAM IN SUCH DEPARTMENT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  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.

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Kara_Griffith

1 month ago

A worthy bill.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.