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Pennsylvania State Senate
11/11/2024 12:55 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=41432
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: September 19, 2023 11:52 AM
From: Senator Art Haywood
To: All Senate members
Subject: Youth Voting Rights Act
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce the Youth Voting Rights Act. This legislation closely aligns with bills recently introduced at the Federal level by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams.
 
When the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified over 50 years ago, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, millions of Americans were bestowed the opportunity to fulfill the most basic of civic duties. Unfortunately, participation rates of young voters continue to lag behind those of older generations. Data shows that young voters are disproportionately made to cast provisional ballots due to issues related to their voter registration or polling places.
 
In response to that data, this legislation seeks to further enshrine the rights guaranteed by the 26th amendment by:
 
  • Expanding voter registration services at public colleges and universities;
  • Allowing young people to pre-register to vote upon turning 16;
  • Requiring institutions of higher education to have on-campus polling places;
  • Guaranteeing that polling locations accept student IDs to meet potential voter-identification requirements that may be instated in the future;
  • Creating a grant program that supports youth involvement in elections, including paid fellowships for young people to work with state and local election administrators to engage their peers; and
  • Gathering data on registration and voting based on age, race, and gender.
 
Please join me in sponsoring this legislation to empower the Commonwealth’s young people to write the future they will inherit.