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On June 18, 2026, the New Jersey State Senate passed bill S-2912, requiring each school district’s board of education to implement instruction on voting in the social studies curriculum for students in grade 12.

The bill, S-2912, would ensure all 12th-grade students are instructed on topics like the importance of voting, what a voter is, how to register, and how to vote.

The Senate passed it unanimously, 40-0, with the bill currently being reviewed by the Assembly.

See NJ State Bill S-2912.

With the voter registration age in New Jersey being decreased to 17, bill S-2912 aligns registration with classroom instruction on voting, equipping young citizens with the tools necessary to participate in voting earlier.

New York City, on the other hand, allows people aged 17 to pre-register to vote instead of officially registering like in New Jersey. The only issue — New York City has yet to pass a bill like S-2912.

“If you’re going to allow us to pre-register at 17, at least teach us what it means to be a voter,” says Abigail Lin, a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School.

Without a feasible way of offering NYC high school seniors access to voting information, many students are left feeling stuck, unsure of how to navigate the voting process.

Despite this, there have been minor pushes to introduce civic education into schools. Senator Robert Jackson introduced Senate Bill S6763, which requires instruction in civic education for grades 5 through 12, covering the New York State Constitution, federal, state, and local government, civic literacy, methods of public participation, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Yet, Senate Bill S6763 has its faults as well.

Providing voting instruction for 5th-12th graders would be significantly more difficult than teaching only 12th graders, as it would place focus on topics that are less general, calling for targeted guidance at the exact moment students reach pre-registration age.

Additionally, research has shown that voting is a habitual behavior. In a study conducted by Alexander Coppock of Columbia University, individuals who participate in the first election for which they are eligible are far more likely to become lifelong voters. By integrating this curriculum into 12th grade social studies classes, schools can help transform pre-registered voters into active, registered voters.

For now, though, NYC high school seniors must navigate the voting process on their own.

Until state lawmakers pass targeted legislation like New Jersey’s bill S-2912 or refine broader proposals like Senate Bill S6763, the struggle of turning pre-registrants into knowledgeable registrants remains largely on students themselves.

VOTE supports adopting a bill similar to that of New Jersey’s S-2912. If you are interested in helping VOTE with advocacy or know legislators interested in introducing a new bill, contact voteofteens@gmail.com. For NYC high schoolers, more information regarding the process can be found at elections.ny.gov & vote.nyc.