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Bill to expand high-school voter pre-registration advances out of committee
Summary
SB 316 would enable 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote and provide schools with tools to teach civic engagement; the committee passed the bill to the Elections Committee.
On behalf of Senator Reyes, Senator Padilla presented SB 316, the High School Voter Registration Act, which would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote so they are automatically registered upon turning 18. The bill would also encourage civic engagement activities such as debates and mock trials and provide resources to bring civics education outside the classroom.
Student witnesses and youth organizations testified in support, saying early engagement increases the likelihood of lifelong voting. Student testimony included accounts of peers who were in high school but did not know how to register in 2020.
Committee members asked about overlap with existing voter-registration efforts such as motor-voter programs and Secretary of State outreach; sponsors said participation had declined since 2018–21 and that the bill seeks to restore prior participation by strengthening local implementation. The committee passed SB 316 to the Elections Committee; the hearing record later showed the bill out 9-0.
