Bill aims to increase voter turnout among young people

A new bill aimed at boosting voter turnout among young people is expected to be presented to the Senate floor for a vote Monday.

News 12 Staff

Jan 13, 2019, 4:22 PM

Updated 1,923 days ago

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A new bill aimed at boosting voter turnout among young people is expected to be presented to the Senate floor for a vote Monday.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. David Carlucci, would allow 16 and 17 year olds to pre-register to vote. When they turn 18 years old, they would automatically be registered by their local board of elections and would no longer need to go to a state agency to register.
In the last several years working on the legislation, Carlucci has found voters up to the age of 21 miss registration deadlines.
"Unfortunately, the turnout for people under the age of 25 in New York State hovers around 20 percent of eligible voters,” he says.
Carlucci says one of the easiest ways to get teens registered to vote is at the DMV. They can sign up while they are getting their learner's permit or driver's license.
He says about a dozen other states have tried it out and have seen turnout go up.


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