NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8697
SPONSOR: Carroll R 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.
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.
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:
A6840/S5645 of 2017-18
A2800/S2272 of 2019-20
A611/S478 of 2021-22
A330/S2562 of 2023-24
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This amendment is resolved (if the Senate concur), that the foregoing be
referred to the first regular legislative session convening 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 three months previous to the time of such election.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8697
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. R. CARROLL, COLTON, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SEAWRIGHT,
HYNDMAN, DINOWITZ, WALKER, SIMON, PEOPLES-STOKES, HEVESI, EPSTEIN,
DE LOS SANTOS, SIMONE -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Election Law
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
1 Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 1 of article
2 2 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
3 Section 1. Every citizen shall be entitled to vote at every election
4 for all officers elected by the people and upon all questions submitted
5 to the vote of the people provided that such citizen is [eighteen]
6 sixteen years of age or over and shall have been a resident of this
7 state, and of the county, city, or village for thirty days next preced-
8 ing an election.
9 § 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing be referred
10 to the first regular legislative session convening after the next
11 succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conform-
12 ity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3
13 months previous to the time of such election.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89080-01-5
