BILL NUMBER: S3028
SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law and the election law, in relation to
extending the right to vote in school district elections to qualified
persons who are sixteen years of age; and to repeal certain provisions
of the election law in relation thereto
 
PURPOSE:
To allow 16- and 17- year olds to vote in school budget and board
elections.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 2 and the closing paragraph of section 2012
of the education law to lower the voting age to 16 for school elections
in all non-city school districts.
Section 2 amends subdivision 7 of section 2505 of the education law to
clarify that 16- and 17-year olds are not eligible to run for school
board in small city school districts.
Section 3 amends subdivision 1 of section 2553 of the education law to
clarify that 16- and 17-year olds are not eligible to serve on the
school board in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, or Yonkers.
Section 4 amends section 2553 of the education law by adding a new
subdivision 11 to lower the voting age to 16 for school elections in
Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.
Section 5 amends section 2603 of the education law to lower the voting
age to 16 for school elections in small city school districts.
Section 6 amends subdivision 2 of section 2018-a of the education law to
update the absentee ballot application for districts that provide for
the personal registration of voters.
Section 7 amends subdivision 2 of section 2018-b of the education law to
section 2018-b of the education law to update the absentee ballot appli-
cation for districts that do not provide for the personal registration
of voters.
Section 8 amends subdivision 6 of section 2018-b of the education law to
further update the absentee ballot application.
Section 9 amends subdivision 2 of section 1951 of the education law to
lower the voting age to 16 for BOCES budget votes.
Section 10 amends section 1951 of the education law to clarify that 16-
and 17- year olds are not eligible to be selected for BOCES.
Section 11 amends subdivision 5 of section 2609 of the education law to
make conforming changes to the city school district voter challenge
process.
Section 12 repeals paragraph g of section 5 of section 5-210 of the
election law and adds two new paragraphs g and g-1 to update pre-regis-
tration forms so that 16- and 17- year olds are notified that they are
eligible to vote in their school district's elections, if applicable,
and will be eligible to vote in other elections when they turn 18.
Section 13 repeals paragraph p of subdivision 4 of section 5-500 of the
election law and adds a new paragraph p to update registration record
requirements.
Section 14 amends subdivision 1 of section 5-507 of the election law to
provide that 16- and 17- year olds who pre-register shall be considered
registered for the purposes of school elections.
Section 15 sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In January 2024, Newark's City Council voted to allow 16- and
17-year-olds to vote in local school board races. Beginning in 2025,
residents as young as 16 will be entitled to vote in school board
elections in Newark, New Jersey's largest city.' Newark is the latest
municipality to move forward with expanding the franchise for local or
school elections. In 2013, Takoma Park, Maryland, became the nation's
first jurisdiction to let 16-year-olds vote in local elections.2 Since
then, several other Maryland cities have followed suit, including Green-
belt,3 Hyattsville,4 Riverdale Parks and Mount Rainier.6 In 2023, the
Vermont Legislature passed an amendment to the Brattleboro Town Charter
to allow 16- and 17 year olds to vote in local elections.7 And beginning
in November 2024, 16- and 17- year olds will be entitled to vote in
school elections in Berkeley and Oakland, California. Nationally, youth
voting is gaining traction. Representative Grace Meng introduced legis-
lation to lower the voting age nationwide for all elections.8
The movement to allow young adults to participate more directly in our
democracy reflects a growing understanding of the value of young
people's voices as members of our shared civil society. 16- and 17- year
olds are old enough to drive, work, and pay taxes. Along with these
responsibilities, they are old enough to participate in shared community
decision making about our public schools.
Young people have an enormous stake in their public schools, communi-
ties, and our democracy. Students who attend public schools are affected
everyday by the actions of their school boards, including the cuts or
investments made in their school budget. They deserve to be heard along-
side other members of their community when those decisions are made.
Moreover, giving 16- and 17- year olds the opportunity to participate in
school elections will help teach them that their votes matter. As
students learn about civics in school, they will have an opportunity to
go out and participate in democracy first-hand. These lessons will
translate to other elections throughout their lives.
This legislation would extend the franchise to 16- and 17- year olds in
school board and budget elections. 16- and 17- year olds must be other-
wise eligible to vote under education law, and will only be able to
participate in the school elections their district holds. The bill does
not apply to New York City which does not have an elected school board
and only allows parents whose children are enrolled in public school to
participate in selecting Community Education Council members. 16- and
17- year olds who pre-register will be considered registered voters for
purposes of school elections only.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023/24: A2739 - died in Education
2021/22: A10554 - died in Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1st next succeeding the day on which
it is signed.
1 https://www.chalkbeat.org/newark/
2024/02/16/newark-youth-vote-in-school-board- elections-delayed2025-ad-
vocates-look-ahead/
2 https://takomaparkmdspy/newsletter/a-decade-of-high -schoolstudents-
speaking-through-the -ballot-box/
3 https://www.preenbeltmd.cov/government/city- administration/city-
clerk-s- office/election-information/voterregistration
4 https://www.hvattsville.org/881/Voter-Information
5 https://www.riverdaleparkmd.gov/covernment/elections/2021
election/register to vote.php
6 https://www.mountrainiermd.org/205/City-Elections
7 https://brattleboro.gov/voting-faqs
8 https://meng.house.govimedia-center/press-releases/menq-
reintroducesdeqislation-to-lower-the-votinqage-in-america-to-16-0