Bush signs Help America Vote Act creating EAC and setting federal election standards

President George W. Bush signs the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the most significant federal election law in decades, responding to the chaos of the 2000 Florida recount. HAVA creates the independent Election Assistance Commission (EAC), transfers NVRA administration from the FEC to the EAC, requires statewide voter registration databases, mandates provisional ballots, and sets minimum federal standards for voting systems. The law establishes the framework for federal oversight of election administration that courts will interpret in cases like Watson v. RNC.