The Pew Charitable Trusts

As early voting, mail-in voting and other more convenient means of casting ballots become common, the old-fashioned precinct polling place is going out of style.

As states become determined to keep more school money inside the classroom, rather than in an administrative office, they are beginning to turn to the thorny issue of consolidation as a way to save on administrative costs. But consolidation of anything related to schools is notoriously difficult, and doesn't always turn out to provide the fiscal windfall states hope for. Implementation is fraught with complexities. Communities worry about the possibility of local schools closing even when it's promised that proposed changes would be largely administrative.

Faced with historic revenue drops, states have tapped their rainy day funds in fiscal 2009 and 2010 at levels not seen since the 2001 recession to help close budget gaps totaling some $290 billion. The decision to go to these funds has renewed the debate about how much states should be setting aside in reserves and when to use the money. A few states, meanwhile, have been able to leave their funds intact.