The worst. New York state is now farther away from complying with (the act) than any other state.

Clearly New York is in last place.

Certainly, the trend has been toward legislatures passing bills that would require some sort of paper.

After 2000, the concern was that paper could be messed up. Now the cure has become worse than the disease.

The American voting public has really gone full circle on this issue. After 2000, where people wanted to eliminate the need for paper and punch cards and older systems they felt weren't reliable. Then in the past few years there is growing concern with electronic systems. Federal and state officials are caught in the middle trying to address all these concerns.

It makes perfect sense that the most stringent voting system requirements would be coming out of California because that's been the source of the greatest criticism of electronic voting.

Florida has been a leader in election reform since 2000.

What California has done with paper trails has made a difference to the nation, and what California decides to do with them could make a difference nationally as well.