Methods of starting a motor include coupling the motor to an AC power source via a switching circuit of a motor starter, detecting an output voltage produced by the switching circuit and responsively changing the output voltage and detecting an input voltage from the AC power source and responsively controlling a rate of change of the output voltage. Controlling the rate of change of the output voltage may include reducing a rate of increase of a magnitude of the output voltage responsive to detecting that the input voltage meets a first criterion. The methods may further include bypassing the switching circuit to connect the motor to the AC power source responsive to the output voltage meeting a second criterion or an output current provided to the motor meeting a third criterion.