Purpose

To improve how colleges, universities, and school districts help students register to vote and participate in elections. The bill requires institutions that enroll students who receive state or federal financial aid to provide voter registration forms, information about registering and voting, and absentee ballot options. It also creates designated campus staff roles and reporting requirements to strengthen student voter engagement and ensure timely registration.

Key provisions

• Forms and distribution at postsecondary institutions

  • Institutions enrolling students who receive state or federal financial aid must provide voter registration forms and information on how to register and request/submit an absentee ballot to each student during fall and spring terms.
  • In state election years, this information must be provided 15 days before the state general election registration deadline.
  • If forms are shared electronically, the message must be devoted exclusively to voter registration.
  • Institutions may request forms from the secretary of state.

• Districts' distribution to students

  • School districts must make voter registration applications available in May and September to all students eligible or preregister to vote.
  • Districts are not required to provide forms to students who attend other programs or who live in the district but do not attend a district school.
  • A district fulfills its obligation by providing a voter registration application to a student one time.
  • Districts must explain that completing a voter registration form is not a district requirement.

• Information collection and reporting

  • Institutions must report to the secretary of state by November 30 each year about how and when forms were distributed and the voter engagement plan (and may include successful methods to increase student registrations).
  • By February 1 each year, the secretary of state must report to the specified legislative chairs/minority members with information on best practices and effective methods for registering students to vote.

• Submission of completed registrations

  • A copy of every completed voter registration form must be sent to the county auditor or the secretary of state as soon as possible.
  • All completed forms must be forwarded no later than 21 days before the general election.

• Voter information and resources

  • Institutions must maintain a webpage with resources to help students determine where and how they are eligible to vote.
  • The webpage must include:
  • State and local election resources on voter registration, voting requirements, residency rules, acceptable residency proofs for same-day registration (as applicable), and absentee voting options.
  • Deadlines for requesting and submitting absentee ballots, and options for early/in-person voting and election day voting.
  • Resources for students registered in another state to apply for absentee ballots, including information from that state.
  • Campus Vote Coordinators’ name and contact information.
  • The campus voter engagement plan required by the other sections.
  • All postsecondary institutions must provide a voter registration form and an absentee ballot request form applicable to a student’s home state upon the student’s request.

• Campus Vote Coordinators and engagement planning

  • Each institution must designate a staff person as the campus vote coordinator.
  • The campus vote coordinator must ensure compliance with the bill, consult with the campus student association to develop a voter engagement plan (including goals, activities, resources, and assignment of responsibility to individuals or departments) and work with relevant campus entities to implement those goals.

Significant changes to existing law

• Expands and formalizes how postsecondary institutions and school districts distribute voter registration materials and absentee ballot information to students.
• Establishes a formal campus-level role (campus vote coordinator) to oversee compliance, student engagement, and coordination with student government.
• Creates annual reporting requirements to the secretary of state and legislative committees, with emphasis on best practices and effective methods for increasing student registration.
• Requires a centralized, publicly accessible voter information webpage on each institution’s site with comprehensive voting resources, including information for students registered in other states.
• Introduces explicit deadlines for forwarding completed registrations and for reporting, potentially increasing the speed and transparency of the registration process.

Implementation notes

• The measure ties registration activities to students who are eligible for state or federal financial aid.
• It requires coordination with campus student groups and clarifies that providing registration forms is not a school district requirement in some cases, while still ensuring access and one-time provision.
• The scope includes both in-state and out-of-state voting considerations (home state requirements and absentee ballot processes).

Relevant Terms - postsecondary institutions - school districts - voter registration forms - absentee ballot - home state (residency for voting) - state general election - state and federal financial aid - election day registration - same-day registration (as applicable) - residency requirements - campus vote coordinator - campus student association - voter engagement plan - secretary of state - county auditor - May and September (district distribution) - November 30 reporting deadline - February 1 reporting deadline - forward registration forms 21 days before general election - voter information webpage - resources for registering in another state - absentee ballot request form - voting deadlines and options (early voting, in-person voting)