New York S 9994: Relates to the qualifications of voters and civic education of students

Bill Text

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S09994 Summary:

BILL NOS09994 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A05790

&nbsp

SPONSORBOTTCHER

&nbsp

COSPNSRBAILEY, COMRIE, JACKSON, PARKER, RAMOS, RIVERA, SALAZAR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§5-102, 5-210 & 8-504, El L; amd §801, Ed L

&nbsp

Lowers the voting age to 16 years; requires that students receive education in civics and be given the opportunity to register to vote in the classroom.

Go to top S09994 Actions:

BILL NOS09994 

&nbsp

04/21/2026REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

Go to topS09994 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09994 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09994 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9994

 IN SENATE

 April 21, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. BOTTCHER, BAILEY, COMRIE, JACKSON, PARKER, RAMOS,
 RIVERA, SALAZAR -- 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 the qualifications of
 voters; and to amend the education law, in relation to civic education
 and student voter registration

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 5-102 of the election law is
 2 amended to read as follows:
 3 1. No person shall be qualified to register for and vote at any
 4 election unless [he] such person is a citizen of the United States and
 5 is or will be, on the day of such election, [eighteen] sixteen years of
 6 age or over, and a resident of this state and of the county, city or
 7 village for a minimum of thirty days next preceding such election.
 8 § 2. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 5 of section 5-210 of the election
 9 law, as amended by chapter 113 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read
 10 as follows:
 11 (g) Notice that the applicant must be a citizen of the United States,
 12 is or will be at least sixteen years old [when they submit an applica-
 13 tion to register to vote which will be effective for elections occurring
 14 on or after the applicant turns eighteen years of age] not later than
 15 December thirty-first of the calendar year in which the applicant regis-
 16 ters and a resident of the county or city to which application is made.
 17 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 8-504 of the election law, as renumbered
 18 by chapter 373 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
 19 3. After receiving the answers as above specified, of any applicant,
 20 the board shall, if it believes the applicant to be qualified or the
 21 challenge is withdrawn, permit [him] the applicant to vote. Otherwise,
 22 the board shall point out to [him] the applicant the qualifications, if
 23 any, in respect of which [he] the applicant shall appear deficient. If,
 24 after such deficiencies have been so indicated, the applicant shall
 25 persist in [his] the claim to vote, an inspector shall administer to
 26 [him] the applicant the following oath, which shall be known as "The

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03234-01-5

 S. 9994 2

 1 Qualification Oath": "You do swear (or affirm) that you are [eighteen]
 2 sixteen years of age, that you are a citizen of the United States and
 3 that you have been a resident of this state, and of this county (of the
 4 city of New York) (village) for thirty days next preceding this
 5 election, that you still reside at the same address from which you have
 6 been duly registered in this election district, that you have not voted
 7 at this election, and that you do not know of any reason why you are not
 8 qualified to vote at this election. You do further declare that you are
 9 aware that it is a crime to make any false statement. That all the
 10 statements you have made to the board have been true and that you under-
 11 stand that a false statement is perjury and you will be guilty of a
 12 misdemeanor."
 13 § 4. Subdivision 1 of section 801 of the education law, as amended by
 14 section 27 of part A of chapter 56 of the laws of 2020, is amended and a
 15 new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
 16 1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and
 17 obligation and to foster in the childre