Bill would align Washington high school registration activities with National Voter Registration Day
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Summary
SB 6130 would move the routine in-school voter registration activity from January to September to align with National Voter Registration Day and Washington’s future voter program; sponsors and election officials say the change is low-cost and could boost youth registration and updates.
Senators and education and elections officials on the Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee heard testimony on SB 6,130, a bill that would direct Washington public high schools to observe National Voter Registration Day each September and make voter sign-up available to students aged 16 and older under the state’s future voter program.
Supporters told the committee the change would align classroom civics instruction with the national day when students are more likely to be paying attention to elections. "Nobody's talking about elections in January. So let's use the momentum of National Voter Registration Day," said Julie Wise, elected director of King County Elections, urging the committee to pass the bill. Elena Becker, committee staff, said the measure simply moves an existing school requirement from January to September and that the fiscal note shows no state fiscal impact.
Sen. Deb Krishnadossan (26th District), the bill’s sponsor, cited an 8 percent drop in turnout among registered voters aged 18–24 between the 2020 and 2024 general elections and framed the bill as a way to convert civics lessons into routine participation opportunities for students. Student witnesses from the Legislative Youth Advisory Council said their schools saw far more sign-ups when registration opportunities occurred closer to election season.
OSPI and the Secretary of State would coordinate materials and reporting. Tyler Munch of OSPI described the change as nonpartisan and operational: "It does not mandate any sort of content or advocacy. Instead, it makes voter registration accessible and routine," he said. Supporters also emphasized privacy protections for student data and the availability of paper forms for students unable to use online mechanisms.
The committee heard no opposition testimony. Senators asked about potential ancillary ideas, including whether community-service credit could be attached to student outreach; the sponsor said that had not been part of initial discussions but could be considered at the local level. The committee closed the hearing on SB 6,130 and moved to the next bill.
The bill remains at the hearing stage; no formal vote was recorded during the session.