Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law authorizes a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote to submit his or her affidavit of registration, which, if properly executed, will be deemed effective as of the date the affiant will be 18 years of age.

Existing law requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California New Motor Voter Program. Under the program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to provide to the Secretary of State specified information associated with each person who submits an application for a drivers license or identification card. The persons motor vehicle records then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person is registered to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote during a transaction with the department, the department does not represent to the Secretary of State that the person attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, or the Secretary of State determines that the person is ineligible to vote.

This bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to additionally report to the Secretary of State that an applicant has attested that he or she meets the voter preregistration requirements for a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements. The bill would provide that the prescribed information submitted by the department to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed or submitted affidavit of registration and the Secretary would be required to register or preregister the person to vote, except as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law authorizes a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote to submit his or her affidavit of registration, which, if properly executed, will be deemed effective as of the date the affiant will be 18 years of age.

Existing law requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California New Motor Voter Program. Under the program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to provide to the Secretary of State specified information associated with each person who submits an application for a drivers license or identification card. The persons motor vehicle records then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person is registered to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote during a transaction with the department, the department does not represent to the Secretary of State that the person attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, or the Secretary of State determines that the person is ineligible to vote.

This bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to additionally report to the Secretary of State that an applicant has attested that he or she meets the voter preregistration requirements for a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements. The bill would provide that the prescribed information submitted by the department to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed or submitted affidavit of registration and the Secretary would be required to register or preregister the person to vote, except as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law authorizes a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote to submit his or her affidavit of registration, which, if properly executed, will be deemed effective as of the date the affiant will be 18 years of age.

Existing law requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California New Motor Voter Program. Under the program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to provide to the Secretary of State specified information associated with each person who submits an application for a drivers license or identification card. The persons motor vehicle records then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person is registered to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote during a transaction with the department, the department does not represent to the Secretary of State that the person attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, or the Secretary of State determines that the person is ineligible to vote.

This bill would require the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the program by January 1, 2020. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to additionally report to the Secretary of State that an applicant has attested that he or she meets the voter preregistration requirements for a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements. The bill would provide that the prescribed information submitted by the department to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed or submitted affidavit of registration and the Secretary would be required to register or preregister the person to vote, except as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law authorizes a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote to submit his or her affidavit of registration, which, if properly executed, will be deemed effective as of the date the affiant will be 18 years of age.

Existing law establishes requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California New Motor Voter Program. Under the program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to provide to the Secretary of State specified information associated with each person who submits an application for a drivers license or identification card. The persons motor vehicle records then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person is registered to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote during a transaction with the department, the department does not represent to the Secretary of State that the person attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, or the Secretary of State determines that the person is ineligible to vote.

This bill would require the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the program by January 1, 2020. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to additionally report to the Secretary of State that an applicant has attested that he or she meets the voter preregistration requirements for a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements. The bill would provide that the prescribed information submitted by the department to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed or submitted affidavit of registration and the Secretary would be required to register or preregister the person to vote, except as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law authorizes a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote to submit his or her affidavit of registration, which, if properly executed, will be deemed effective as of the date the affiant will be 18 years of age.

Existing law establishes the California New Motor Voter Program. Under the program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to provide to the Secretary of State specified information associated with each person who submits an application for a drivers license or identification card. The persons motor vehicle records then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person is registered to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote during a transaction with the department, the department does not represent to the Secretary of State that the person attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, or the Secretary of State determines that the person is ineligible to vote.

This bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to additionally report to the Secretary of State that an applicant has attested that he or she meets the voter preregistration requirements for a person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements. The bill would provide that the prescribed information submitted by the department to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed or submitted affidavit of registration and the Secretary would be required to register or preregister the person to vote, except as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Existing law permits a proposed ordinance to be submitted to a county board of supervisors by filing an initiative petition with the appropriate elections official, as specified. Under existing law, a county elections official is required to immediately transmit a copy of any proposed measure to the county counsel who is required to provide and return to the county elections official a ballot title and summary for the proposed measure, as specified.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 1407

Author:(McCarty and Gonzalez Fletcher)

As Amended Ver:January 11, 2018

Majority vote

Original Committee Reference: E. & R.

SUMMARY: Provides for every eligible person to be pre-registered to vote automatically when that person applies for a driver's license or state identification card, unless the person opts out. Makes corresponding changes.

The Senate amendments make a technical change.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires that each eligible person be registered to vote when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to pre-register to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.

COMMENTS: According to the author, "The 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 would give 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California."

AB 30 (Price), Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009, allows a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements. SB 113 (Jackson), Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014, allows a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements. Pre-registration has been available for 16- and 17-year olds since September 2016, when the state implemented a new statewide voter registration database known as VoteCal.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez), Chapter 729, Statutes of 2015, provides for every eligible voter to be automatically registered to vote when that person conducts specified business with the DMV, unless the voter opts out. AB 1461 is expected to be implemented this April.

This bill expands upon AB 1461 by automatically pre-registering 16- and 17-year-olds to vote when they apply for a driver's license or identification card through the DMV.

The Senate amendments correct an erroneous cross-reference in a provision of existing law. (Earlier Senate amendments that would have delayed the implementation of automatic voter registration subsequently were removed from the bill.) This bill, as amended in the Senate, is consistent with Assembly actions.

Analysis Prepared by: Ethan Jones / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0002523

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1407

Author:

: 1/11/18

Vote:

SENATE ELECTIONS & C.A. COMMITTEE: 4-1, 6/20/17

AYES: Stern, Allen, Hertzberg, Leyva

NOES: Anderson

SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-3, 7/11/17

AYES: Beall, Allen, Atkins, McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Skinner, Wieckowski, Wiener

NOES: Cannella, Morrell, Vidak

NO VOTE RECORDED: Gaines

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Secretary of State Alex Padilla

DIGEST:

This bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

Senate Floor Amendments of 1/11/18 delete prior amendments that provided implementation of the program commence by January 1, 2020.

Senate Floor Amendments of 9/8/17 provide that implementation of the bill must commence by January 1, 2020.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.
   

This bill requires that every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Specifically, this bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

Background

Youth Voter Registration. According to information from the Secretary of State's Web site, youth aged 18-24 years old stand out as registering at a far lower rate than any other age group. In the presidential election year of 2016, of the nearly 75% of Californians who were registered to vote, only 12% were youth between the ages of 17.5 to 24. In 2014, only 52 % of the state's residents ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote before the midterm election. This was more than 20 points below any other age group.

In its report California's Likely Voters, the Public Policy Institute of California states that young adults (18 to 34) make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults ages 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. In contrast, Californians age 55 and older make up 31% of the state's adult population but constitute 47% of likely voters.

Automatic Preregistration at the DMV. According to the California Public Interest Research Group’s report Path to the Polls: Preregistering California's Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy, “At the age of 16, California teens first become eligible to obtain a provisional driver's license, which requires a visit to the DMV. This provides a strong incentive for many young people to visit a government agency that has the obligation to provide voter registration opportunities to customers, and that should provide preregistration opportunities as well.”

One of the limitations of this approach is that some 16 and 17 year olds will never visit the DMV, either because they do not need to drive or cannot afford a car. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration found that in 2014, only around 866,000 California teenagers had obtained a driver's license by age 19. But in the same year, the Census American Community Survey found there were two million U.S. citizen teens aged 16-19 living in California. If this trend continues, only about half of the population that could be eligible to preregister would actually go to the DMV and have the opportunity to do so.

Encouraging Civic Engagement. Studies have shown that preregistering young people to vote before they turn 18 boosts voter turnout and helps turn them into lifelong voters. In their policy brief titled Voting is a Habit, the Young Voter Strategies project cites numerous academic studies and electoral analyses which have shown that voting is a learned behavior that is habit-forming. They conclude that encouraging young voters to go to the polls can lead to increased voter participation over their lifetime.

Research published in two articles in the American Journal of Political Science in 2015 support using preregistration to encourage long term voting and civic engagement. According to Holbein and Hillygus in “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout,” allowing preregistration can increase young voter turnout by up to 13 percentage points, and people who vote at an early age are more likely to stay engaged and vote in later elections. Results from Gerber et al, “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout” show that people who vote once are much more likely to vote again. These two studies suggest that preregistration programs can help set voting patterns for young generations, and could shape the level of democratic participation in a state for decades or longer.

Preregistration in Other States. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington D.C. have preregistration for 16 year olds.

Comments

1. According to the author, the 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 gives 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.
   
   The 2015 New Motor Voter Program allows for automatic voter pre-registration when an eligible citizen applies for a driver’s license or California identification card. This legislation does not specify that if a minor applies for a driver’s license or California identification card they must be automatically pre-registered to vote, which is where AB 1407 (McCarty) is necessary. It is important that as the 2015 New Motor Voter program is implemented, the pre-registration component is also added.

Related/Prior Legislation

ACA 10 (Low, 2017), which is pending on the Assembly floor, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

ACA 2 (Mullin, 2015) would have allowed a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote. ACA 2 was never brought up for a vote on the Assembly floor.

SB 113 (Jackson, Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014) allowed a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2014) provided for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

AB 30 (Price, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009) allowed a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

SUPPORT: (Verified 1/10/18)

Secretary of State Alex Padilla (source)

California Association of Student Councils

California Public Interest Research Group

Sacramento Youth Alliance – Community Action Team

OPPOSITION: (Verified 1/10/18)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17

AYES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Berman, Bloom, Bocanegra, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Levine, Limón, Low, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, O'Donnell, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NOES: Acosta, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Brough, Chávez, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Fong, Gallagher, Harper, Kiley, Lackey, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, Melendez, Obernolte, Patterson, Steinorth, Voepel, Waldron

NO VOTE RECORDED: Bonta, Chen, Nazarian

Prepared by:

1/12/18 13:53:47

**** END ****

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1407

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE ELECTIONS & C.A. COMMITTEE: 4-1, 6/20/17

AYES: Stern, Allen, Hertzberg, Leyva

NOES: Anderson

SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-3, 7/11/17

AYES: Beall, Allen, Atkins, McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Skinner, Wieckowski, Wiener

NOES: Cannella, Morrell, Vidak

NO VOTE RECORDED: Gaines

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Secretary of State Alex Padilla

DIGEST:

This bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

Senate Floor Amendments of 9/8/17 provide that implementation of the bill must commence by January 1, 2020.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.
   

This bill requires that by January 1, 2020, every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Specifically, this bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

Background

Youth Voter Registration. According to information from the Secretary of State's Web site, youth aged 18-24 years old stand out as registering at a far lower rate than any other age group. In the presidential election year of 2016, of the nearly 75% of Californians who were registered to vote, only 12% were youth between the ages of 17.5 to 24. In 2014, only 52 % of the state's residents ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote before the midterm election. This was more than 20 points below any other age group.

In its report California's Likely Voters, the Public Policy Institute of California states that young adults (18 to 34) make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults ages 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. In contrast, Californians age 55 and older make up 31% of the state's adult population but constitute 47% of likely voters.

Automatic Preregistration at the DMV. According to the California Public Interest Research Group’s report Path to the Polls: Preregistering California's Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy, “At the age of 16, California teens first become eligible to obtain a provisional driver's license, which requires a visit to the DMV. This provides a strong incentive for many young people to visit a government agency that has the obligation to provide voter registration opportunities to customers, and that should provide preregistration opportunities as well.”

One of the limitations of this approach is that some 16 and 17 year olds will never visit the DMV, either because they do not need to drive or cannot afford a car. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration found that in 2014, only around 866,000 California teenagers had obtained a driver's license by age 19. But in the same year, the Census American Community Survey found there were two million U.S. citizen teens aged 16-19 living in California. If this trend continues, only about half of the population that could be eligible to preregister would actually go to the DMV and have the opportunity to do so.

Encouraging Civic Engagement. Studies have shown that preregistering young people to vote before they turn 18 boosts voter turnout and helps turn them into lifelong voters. In their policy brief titled Voting is a Habit, the Young Voter Strategies project cites numerous academic studies and electoral analyses which have shown that voting is a learned behavior that is habit-forming. They conclude that encouraging young voters to go to the polls can lead to increased voter participation over their lifetime.

Research published in two articles in the American Journal of Political Science in 2015 support using preregistration to encourage long term voting and civic engagement. According to Holbein and Hillygus in “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout,” allowing preregistration can increase young voter turnout by up to 13 percentage points, and people who vote at an early age are more likely to stay engaged and vote in later elections. Results from Gerber et al, “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout” show that people who vote once are much more likely to vote again. These two studies suggest that preregistration programs can help set voting patterns for young generations, and could shape the level of democratic participation in a state for decades or longer.

Preregistration in Other States. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington D.C. have preregistration for 16 year olds.

Comments

1. According to the author, the 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 gives 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.
   
   The 2015 New Motor Voter Program allows for automatic voter pre-registration when an eligible citizen applies for a driver’s license or California identification card. This legislation does not specify that if a minor applies for a driver’s license or California identification card they must be automatically pre-registered to vote, which is where AB 1407 (McCarty) is necessary. It is important that as the 2015 New Motor Voter program is implemented, the pre-registration component is also added.

Related/Prior Legislation

ACA 10 (Low, 2017), which is pending on the Assembly floor, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

ACA 2 (Mullin, 2015) would have allowed a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote. ACA 2 was never brought up for a vote on the Assembly floor.

SB 113 (Jackson, Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014) allowed a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2014) provided for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

AB 30 (Price, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009) allowed a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

SUPPORT: (Verified 9/8/17)

Secretary of State Alex Padilla (source)

California Association of Student Councils

California Public Interest Research Group

OPPOSITION: (Verified 9/8/17)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17

AYES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Berman, Bloom, Bocanegra, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Levine, Limón, Low, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, O'Donnell, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NOES: Acosta, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Brough, Chávez, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Fong, Gallagher, Harper, Kiley, Lackey, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, Melendez, Obernolte, Patterson, Steinorth, Voepel, Waldron

NO VOTE RECORDED: Bonta, Chen, Nazarian

Prepared by:

9/9/17 16:13:41

**** END ****

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1407

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE ELECTIONS & C.A. COMMITTEE: 4-1, 6/20/17

AYES: Stern, Allen, Hertzberg, Leyva

NOES: Anderson

SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-3, 7/11/17

AYES: Beall, Allen, Atkins, McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Skinner, Wieckowski, Wiener

NOES: Cannella, Morrell, Vidak

NO VOTE RECORDED: Gaines

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Secretary of State Alex Padilla

DIGEST:

This bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.
   

This bill provides for every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Specifically, this bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

Background

Youth Voter Registration. According to information from the Secretary of State's Web site, youth aged 18-24 years old stand out as registering at a far lower rate than any other age group. In the presidential election year of 2016, of the nearly 75% of Californians who were registered to vote, only 12% were youth between the ages of 17.5 to 24. In 2014, only 52 % of the state's residents ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote before the midterm election. This was more than 20 points below any other age group.

In its report California's Likely Voters, the Public Policy Institute of California states that young adults (18 to 34) make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults ages 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. In contrast, Californians age 55 and older make up 31% of the state's adult population but constitute 47% of likely voters.

Automatic Preregistration at the DMV. According to the California Public Interest Research Group’s report Path to the Polls: Preregistering California's Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy, “At the age of 16, California teens first become eligible to obtain a provisional driver's license, which requires a visit to the DMV. This provides a strong incentive for many young people to visit a government agency that has the obligation to provide voter registration opportunities to customers, and that should provide preregistration opportunities as well.”

One of the limitations of this approach is that some 16 and 17 year olds will never visit the DMV, either because they do not need to drive or cannot afford a car. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration found that in 2014, only around 866,000 California teenagers had obtained a driver's license by age 19. But in the same year, the Census American Community Survey found there were two million U.S. citizen teens aged 16-19 living in California. If this trend continues, only about half of the population that could be eligible to preregister would actually go to the DMV and have the opportunity to do so.

Encouraging Civic Engagement. Studies have shown that preregistering young people to vote before they turn 18 boosts voter turnout and helps turn them into lifelong voters. In their policy brief titled Voting is a Habit, the Young Voter Strategies project cites numerous academic studies and electoral analyses which have shown that voting is a learned behavior that is habit-forming. They conclude that encouraging young voters to go to the polls can lead to increased voter participation over their lifetime.

Research published in two articles in the American Journal of Political Science in 2015 support using preregistration to encourage long term voting and civic engagement. According to Holbein and Hillygus in “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout,” allowing preregistration can increase young voter turnout by up to 13 percentage points, and people who vote at an early age are more likely to stay engaged and vote in later elections. Results from Gerber et al, “Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout” show that people who vote once are much more likely to vote again. These two studies suggest that preregistration programs can help set voting patterns for young generations, and could shape the level of democratic participation in a state for decades or longer.

Preregistration in Other States. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington D.C. have preregistration for 16 year olds.

Comments

1. According to the author, the 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 gives 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.
   
   The 2015 New Motor Voter Program allows for automatic voter pre-registration when an eligible citizen applies for a driver’s license or California identification card. This legislation does not specify that if a minor applies for a driver’s license or California identification card they must be automatically pre-registered to vote, which is where AB 1407 (McCarty) is necessary. It is important that as the 2015 New Motor Voter program is implemented, the pre-registration component is also added.

Related/Prior Legislation

ACA 10 (Low), which is pending on the Assembly floor, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

ACA 2 (Mullin, 2015) would have allowed a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote. ACA 2 was never brought up for a vote on the Assembly floor.

SB 113 (Jackson, Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014) allowed a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2014) provided for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

AB 30 (Price, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009) allowed a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/21/17)

Secretary of State Alex Padilla (source)

California Association of Student Councils

California Public Interest Research Group

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/21/17)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 53-24, 5/22/17

AYES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Berman, Bloom, Bocanegra, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Levine, Limón, Low, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, O'Donnell, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NOES: Acosta, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Brough, Chávez, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Fong, Gallagher, Harper, Kiley, Lackey, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, Melendez, Obernolte, Patterson, Steinorth, Voepel, Waldron

NO VOTE RECORDED: Bonta, Chen, Nazarian

Prepared by:

8/22/17 16:24:48

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING

Senator Jim Beall, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: AB 1407 Hearing Date: 7/11/2017

SUBJECT: California New Motor Voter Program: voter registration

DIGEST: This bill ensures that the California New Motor Voter Program includes automatic voter pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds applying for a driver’s license or identification card, unless they opt out.

ANALYSIS:

Existing federal law, the NVRA — also known as the “Motor Voter Act” —requires states to provide the opportunity to register to vote through various methods, including at motor vehicle agencies, by mail-in application, and by designating “other offices” within the state as voter registration agencies.

Existing state law (AB 1461 of 2015) establishes the California New Motor Voter Program. Under this program, every individual who applies for a driver’s license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote, is automatically registered to vote at DMV at the time of application, unless he or she opts out. AB 1461 requires DMV to electronically transmit specified information to the Secretary of State (SOS), including the applicant’s name, date of birth, address, digitized signature, email address, telephone number, language preference, and other information related to voter registration. The 2016-17 state budget provided DMV with one-time funds of $3.9 million and 3.7 staff to prepare for implementation, and the recently approved state budget includes $3.2 million in 2018-19 as well as 12 ongoing positions and two-year limited-term funding for two positions.

Existing state law permits an individual who is a United States citizen, a resident of California, not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election to register to vote. State law also permits an individual who is at least 16 years of age, and who otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote, to submit his/her affidavit of registration, which shall be deemed effective as of the date that the affiant will be 18 years of age (known as “pre-registration”).

This bill ensures that the California New Motor Voter Program includes automatic voter pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds who are applying for a driver’s license or identification card, unless they opt out.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. The author states that the 2015 Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, this bill will give 16- and 17-year-olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.
2. Background. State law was recently amended to lower the age at which an individual can pre-register to vote, from 17 to 16 years of age (SB 113 of 2014). Although it is implied that the California New Motor Voter Program includes pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, statute does not explicitly address pre-registration. This bill closes that loophole.
3. Bringing in the youth vote. A September 2016 report, California’s Likely Voters, by the Public Policy Institute of California, notes that young adults aged 18 to 34 make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults aged 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. Another September 2016 report, Path to the Polls: Preregistering California’s Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy, coauthored by CalPIRG, notes that fewer than 16% of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds voted in 2014, and only about half actually registered to vote. The report states that to obtain a provisional driver’s license, a 16-year-old must visit the DMV, which provides an important opportunity for the state to offer pre-registration. (The same report notes, however, that more and more teens are waiting until much later to get a license and might not visit DMV before they reach voting age.) The CalPIRG report points to numerous studies that show that preregistration increases youth voter turnout.
4. What about AB 60 applicants? Pursuant to AB 60 (Alejo, Chapter 524, Statutes of 2013), DMV began, on January 2, 2015, to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who are ineligible for a social security number but can provide additional specified documentation. Pursuant to the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, these licenses cannot be used for identification purposes. An individual must be able to establish proof of identity and of legal presence in the U.S. in order to obtain an AB 60 license, but does not have to be a U.S. citizen; therefore, these individuals are not eligible to vote. To register to vote in California, however, an individual must be a U.S. citizen; thus, the California New Motor Voter Program excludes AB 60 applicants.
5. Double referral. This bill passed out of the Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments on June 20^th on a 4-1 vote.

Related Legislation:

ACA 10 (Low, 2017) — would lower the minimum voting age from 18 to 17. This bill is pending on the Assembly Floor.

ACA 2 (Mullin, 2016) — would have allowed an individual who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election, to vote in any intervening primary or special election that occurs before the next general election. This bill died on the Assembly Inactive File.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2015) —establishes the California New Motor Voter Program, which provides for every individual who has a driver’s license or identification card and who is eligible to register to vote, to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless he or she opts out.

SB 113 (Jackson, Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014) — allows a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote.

AB 30 (Price, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009) — allowed an individual who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote.

Assembly Votes:

Floor: 53-24

Appr: 12-5

Elecs: 5-2

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday,

July 5, 2017.)

SUPPORT:

Secretary of State Alex Padilla (sponsor)

California Association of Student Councils

CALPIRG

OPPOSITION:

None received.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

ELECTIONS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Senator Henry Stern, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: AB Hearing Date: 6/20/17

Subject: California New Motor Voter Program: voter registration

DIGEST

This bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

ANALYSIS

Existing law:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.
   

This bill:

1. Provides for every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Specifically, this bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

BACKGROUND

Youth Voter Registration. According to information from the Secretary of State's (SOS) Web site, youth aged 18-24 years old stand out as registering at a far lower rate than any other age group. In the presidential election year of 2016, of the nearly 75% of Californians who were registered to vote, only 12% were youth between the ages of 17.5 to 24. In 2014 only 52 % of the state's residents ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote before the midterm election. This was more than 20 points below any other age group.

In its report California's Likely Voters, the Public Policy Institute of California states that young adults (18 to 34) make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults ages 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. In contrast, Californians age 55 and older make up 31% of the state's adult population but constitute 47% of likely voters.

Automatic Preregistration at the DMV. According to CALPIRG's report Path to the Polls: Preregistering California's Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy, “At the age of 16, California teens first become eligible to obtain a provisional driver's license, which requires a visit to the DMV. This provides a strong incentive for many young people to visit a government agency that has the obligation to provide voter registration opportunities to customers, and that should provide preregistration opportunities as well."

One of the limitations of this approach is that some 16- and 17-year olds will never visit the DMV, either because they do not need to drive or cannot afford a car. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration found that in 2014, only around 866,000 California teenagers had obtained a driver's license by age 19. But in the same year, the Census American Community Survey found there were 2 million U.S. citizen teens aged 16-19 living in California. If this trend continues, only about half of the population that could be eligible to preregister would actually go to the DMV and have the opportunity to do so.

Encouraging Civic Engagement. Studies have shown that preregistering young people to vote before they turn 18 boosts voter turnout and helps turn them into lifelong voters. In their policy brief titled Voting is a Habit, the Young Voter Strategies project cites numerous academic studies and electoral analyses which have shown that voting is a learned behavior that is habit-forming. They conclude that encouraging young voters to go to the polls can lead to increased voter participation over their lifetime.

Research published in two articles in the American Journal of Political Science in 2015 support using preregistration to encourage long term voting and civic engagement. According to Holbein and Hillygus in "Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout,” allowing preregistration can increase young voter turnout by up to 13 percentage points, and people who vote at an early age are more likely to stay engaged and vote in later elections. Results from Gerber et al, "Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout" show that people who vote once are much more likely to vote again. These two studies suggest that preregistration programs can help set voting patterns for young generations, and could shape the level of democratic participation in a state for decades or longer.

Preregistration in Other States. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington D.C. have preregistration for 16 year olds.

COMMENTS

1. According to the author: The 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 would give 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote.  Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.
   
   The 2015 New Motor Voter Program allows for automatic voter pre-registration when an eligible citizen applies for a driver’s license or CA identification card. This legislation does not specify that if a minor applies for a driver’s license or CA identification card they must be automatically pre-registered to vote, which is where AB 1407 McCarty is necessary. It is important that as the 2015 New Motor Voter program is implemented, the pre-registration component is also added.

RELATED/PRIOR LEGISLATION

ACA 10 (Low), which is pending on the Assembly floor, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

ACA 2 (Mullin of 2015), would have allowed a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote. ACA 2 was never brought up for a vote on the Assembly floor.

SB 113 (Jackson, Ch. 619, Statutes of 2014), allowed a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Ch. 729, Statutes of 2014), provides for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

AB 30 (Price, Ch. 364, Statutes of 2009), allowed a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

PRIOR ACTION

POSITIONS

Sponsor: Secretary of State, Alex Padilla

Support: California Association of Student Councils

California Public Interest Research Group

Oppose: None received

-- END –

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 1407

Author:(McCarty and Gonzalez Fletcher)

As Amended Ver:

Majority vote

SUMMARY: Provides for every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Makes corresponding changes.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, minor and absorbable costs to the DMV, as the costs associated with the New Motor Voter Program will already be incurred as a result of the creation of the initial program.

COMMENTS: According to the author, "The 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 would give 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California."

In the last decade, California has moved towards allowing pre-registration of voters. AB 30 (Price), Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009, allows a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements. SB 113 (Jackson), Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014, allows a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

In 2015, California joined a national movement to expand access to voter registration and increase voter turnout. AB 1461 (Gonzalez), Chapter 729, Statutes of 2015, provides for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

This bill expands upon the California New Motor Voter Program by automatically pre-registering 16 and 17 year olds to vote when they apply for a driver's license or identification card through the DMV.

ACA 10 (Low) of the current legislative session, which is pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill.

Analysis Prepared by: Bish Paul / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0000355

Date of Hearing: May 10, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1407

Author:(McCarty) – As Amended Ver:April 3, 2017

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill provides for every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Specifically, this bill expands the provisions of the New Motor Voter Program to 16 and 17 year olds.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Minor and absorbable costs to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), as the costs associated with the New Motor Voter Program will already be incurred as a result of the creation of the initial program.

COMMENTS:

1. Background. Existing law, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program established by AB 1461 (Gonzalez), Chapter 729, Statutes of 2015, requires that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines. In addition, existing law permits a person who is 16 or 17 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements, to preregister to vote. A person who preregisters will have his or her voter registration become effective when they turn 18 years old.
2. Purpose. According to the author, “The 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 would give 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.”

Analysis Prepared by: Jessica Peters / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 26, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND REDISTRICTING

Marc Berman, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1407 (

Author:McCarty) – As Amended Ver:April 3, 2017

SUBJECT: California New Motor Voter Program: voter registration.

SUMMARY: Provides for every person who is applying for a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to preregister to vote to be automatically preregistered to vote, unless that person opts out. Makes corresponding changes.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires, pursuant to the California New Motor Voter Program, that each eligible voter be registered to vote by default when he or she submits an application for a driver's license or state identification card, or provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a change of address, unless the voter specifically declines.
2. Permits a person who is at least 16 years old and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to preregister to vote. Provides that the person's voter registration will be deemed effective as soon as the person is 18 years old at the time of the next election.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose of the Bill: According to the author:

The 2015 California New Motor Voter Program was a huge step in removing barriers to increase voter registration and encouraging civic engagement. Building upon past legislative efforts, AB 1407 would give 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to pre-register to vote. Voters who are engaged early, are much more likely to become consistent voters and active citizens, something that is vital to the continued success of California.

1. Youth Voter Registration: According to information from the Secretary of State's website, youth aged 18-24 years old stand out as registering at a far lower rate than any other age group. In the presidential election year of 2016, of the nearly 75% of Californians who were registered to vote, only 12% were youth between the ages of 17.5 to 24. In 2014 only 52 percent of the state's residents ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote before the midterm election. This was more than 20 points below any other age group.
   
   In its report California's Likely Voters, the Public Policy Institute of California states that young adults (18 to 34) make up 33% of the population but only 18% of likely voters, while adults ages 35 to 54 are proportionally represented. In contrast, Californians age 55 and older make up 31% of the state's adult population but constitute 47% of likely voters.
2. Automatic Preregistration at the DMV: According to CALPIRG's report Path to the Polls: Preregistering California's Youth to Build a More Participatory Democracy "At the age of 16, California teens first become eligible to obtain a provisional driver's license, which requires a visit to the DMV. This provides a strong incentive for many young people to visit a government agency that has the obligation to provide voter registration opportunities to customers, and that should provide preregistration opportunities as well."

One of the limitations of this approach is that some 16- and 17-year olds will never visit the DMV, either because they do not need to drive or cannot afford a car. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration found that in 2014, only around 866,000 California teenagers had obtained a driver's license by age 19. But in the same year, the Census American Community Survey found there were 2 million U.S. citizen teens aged 16-19 living in California. If this trend continues, only about half of the population that could be eligible to preregister would actually go to the DMV and have the opportunity to do so.

1. Encouraging Civic Engagement: Studies have shown that preregistering young people to vote before they turn 18 boosts voter turnout and helps turn them into lifelong voters. In their policy brief titled Voting is a Habit, the Young Voter Strategies project cites numerous academic studies and electoral analyses which have shown that voting is a learned behavior that is habit-forming. They conclude that encouraging young voters to go to the polls can lead to increased voter participation over their lifetime.

Research published in two articles in the American Journal of Political Science in 2015 support using preregistration to encourage long term voting and civic engagement. According to Holbein and Hillygus in "Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout'" allowing preregistration can increase young voter turnout by up to 13 percentage points, and people who vote at an early age are more likely to stay engaged and vote in later elections. Results from Gerber et al, "Making Young Voters: The Impact of Preregistration on Youth Turnout'" show that people who vote once are much more likely to vote again. These two studies suggest that preregistration programs can help set voting patterns for young generations, and could shape the level of democratic participation in a state for decades or longer.

1. Preregistration in Other States: According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington D.C. have preregistration for 16 year olds.
2. Previous Legislation: AB 30 (Price), Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009, allows a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

ACA 2 (Mullin) of 2015 would have allowed a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote. ACA 2 was approved by this committee, but was never brought up for a vote on the Assembly floor.

SB 113 (Jackson), Chapter 619, Statutes of 2014, allows a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he or she would otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez), Chapter 729, Statutes of 2014, provides for every person who has a driver's license or state identification card and who is eligible to register to vote to be automatically registered to vote at the DMV, unless that person opts out.

1. Related Legislation: ACA 10 (Low), which is pending in this committee, proposes to reduce the minimum voting age and allow a person who is 17 years old and a resident of California to vote.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Secretary of State Alex Padilla (sponsor)

CALPIRG

California Association of Student Councils

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Bish Paul / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094