Chris McKenna is reporting at The Fray 16- and 17-year-old residents of New York can now pre-register to vote. A new state law took effect on January 1, which allows teens to pre-register and also requires school boards to adopt policies to encourage students to pre-register or register if they are 18. Teens who pre-register will automatically be registered as voters when they turn 18, without having to take any other action. New York lawmakers passed the bill a year ago, notwithstanding the opposition of many Republicans, particularly in the Assembly, to voter pre-registration. Sen. David Carlucci, the Rockland County Democrat who carried the Senate version said in a statement, “When young people are engaged from an early age they stay engaged. By eliminating barriers to register and increasing education, we are strengthening our democracy.” Read the full story at The Fray.