How well can our election administration system handle another close election? Since Bush v. Gore in 2000, substantial changes have occurred in the areas of voter registration, voter identification, voting technology, provisional balloting, and recounts. Experts from the election law program at The Ohio State University recently completed a comprehensive review of election procedures in five key Midwestern states (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin), the findings of which are of significance not only regionally, but also nationally. At this event, Edward Foley, Steven Huefner, and Daniel Tokaji will release their new book, From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States. The book not only provides a thorough analysis and constructive criticism of several different types of election administration systems but also provides key recommendations for how an ideal election ecosystem should be constructed. Following the presentation, Election Assistance Commission member Caroline Hunter and Los Angeles County registrar Conny McCormack will offer comments.

The AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project aims to synthesize election-related research, link the research and policy communities, track and assist the implementation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and encourage improvements in HAVA and in election conduct and administration. Important goals of the reform project are to better inform policymakers, to provide a more comprehensive view of election reform changes among the national policy community, to raise the profile for election reform issues within Washington, and to improve coordination among groups and researchers around the country.