Specific Reforms for the Five States

AS PART II DEMONSTRATES, the election ecosystems of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, andWisconsin vary widely in certain features, while having substantial similarities in others. Some of their similarities may reflect common historical roots, while others are the result of more recent innovations and approaches. The Help America Vote Act (“HAVA”) obviously also has forced a certain similarity on these and other states. Yet important variations exist even with respect to how each state is meeting key HAVA requirements, such as the statewide voter database requirement and the demand for new voting technology. In some instances, these and other state-by-state variations reflect deliberate choices. In other cases, they are largely the result of historical circumstance.