Listen To Supervisors

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted December 4 2004   
Local election supervisors want the Florida Legislature to do away with Election Day as we now know it in favor of Election Days. The idea may need more work, but it deserves thorough consideration.

Florida currently allows voters to cast ballots during a 15-day period before Election Day. In its first run, early voting proved to be quite popular. But early voting also had several problems.

Many voters had to wait in long lines to vote early, largely because election supervisors were limited to using their offices and public libraries, which aren't large enough to hold enough voting machines to accommodate the throng of voters who wanted to vote early.

Finding qualified poll workers for early voting and the traditional Election Day was also problematic. Local election officials scrambled to find volunteers.The use of county employees also resulted in higher salary and training costs.

During this week's statewide meeting in Orlando, the supervisors crafted a plan that would streamline the process while incorporating some of the positive traits of early voting into a new system.

The supervisors want to reduce the number of days people can vote, but add to the size and number of places where they can cast ballots. These large voting centers would replace the current precinct system, a move the supervisors believe would curb operating costs and many typical election mistakes that dog the process.

Changing and reducing polling place locations could prove controversial. A lot of people just don't want to change the way they have always done things. But the ultimate goal must be to run a more efficient election that reduces errors.

What's not in dispute is that election reform in Florida is still a work in progress. Credit the elections supervisors for providing their input into the ongoing efforts to improve the process.