Florida elections officials are asking for more choices for the number and location of early voting sites in their counties. Several election supervisors testified Tuesday before the House Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections.
Seminole County Election Supervisor Mike Ertel echoed the common theme that more flexibility is needed in early voting. He said, for example, the Orange County election supervisor could only open one early voting site in an area where about 30 percent of the population live.
“Were we to receive the discretion, I’m sure he would—I know he would actually; he’s been begging for it—open more early voting locations on that side. So right now the current law actually limits folks to where they can do it," he said.
The committee asked whether the supervisors support adding early voting days, after a 2011 law reduced them from 14 to eight. Pasco County Election Supervisor Brian Corley said, the Florida Association of Election Supervisors suggests eight required days with the option to add up to 14 if needed.