Has voting in Minnesota always been easy?

Minnesota is known as a place where people turn out to vote in larger numbers than other states. In the last presidential election, for example, Minnesota led the nation when over 78 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Same-day registration and no current photo ID requirement make our state one of the country's easiest places to vote. That could change if the voter ID constitutional amendment question passes on Tuesday.

This got us wondering if Minnesota has always been an easy place to vote compared to other states. To find out, we consulted with Alexander Keyssar. Professor Keyssar teaches at Harvard University and he's the author of "The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States."