Crist extends early voting hours

Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday afternoon issued an order expanding the hours of early voting up to 12 hours a day through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and a total of 12 weekend hours, between 7 a.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. (The law allowed for a maximum of eight hours a day and a total of eight on the weekend).

At a hastily arranged news conference, Crist said the right to vote is sacred and that "many have fought and died for this right." He said he consulted a leading Democratic legislator, Rep. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, before issuing his order, and that Gelber knew of a similar order issued by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002 that dealt with helping voters deal with new equipment. (Buzz audio here.)

As to the perception that more early voting helps Democrats, Crist said: "This is not a political decision. This is a people decision."

Last week, all nine Democrats in the Florida congressional delegation wrote a letter urging him to expand early voting and to order all early voting sites to be open on Sunday.

Early balloting in Florida so far favors Democrats, while Republicans hold an advantage in absentee voting. Waits of up to four hours have been reported in precincts in heavily-Democratic Broward County.

Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau Chief

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Comments

Thanks, Charlie. I hope each and every early voter and each and every felon go out and vote for you in 2010, because they are the only ones who will.

It was the right decision.

So NOW will people stop whining about "voter suppression"?

The headline should read:

"Crist gives ACORN more time to cheat"

2:54 don't hold your breath. They will always find something to whine about. It is a technique which involves overwhelming the establishment by forcing it to comply to the exact letter of every last single, rule. As they overwhelm thr system, it collapses, then the revolution happens. No, I am not ready to be committed. Read about it at:

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6967

AWSOME!

Despite the mass media news blackout, a series of books, talk radio and the blogosphere have managed to expose Barack Obama's connections to his radical mentors -- Weather Underground bombers William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, Communist Party member Frank Marshall Davis and others. David Horowitz and his Discover the Networks.org have also contributed a wealth of information and have noted Obama's radical connections since the beginning.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/barack_obama_and_the_strategy.html

They call me the panderer, ah, the panderer I go around, around, around, around.

November 5, Tallahassee, Florida

{insert name of losing candidate} files suit in state court contending deviation from approved early voting hours gave a disproportionate advantage to {insert name of winning candidate}.

-- At a news conference, Crist said the right to vote is sacred and that "Many have fought and died for this right." --

... just picked up on that did ya Chuck?

This fool has got to be the biggest embarrassment our State has ever put forward. What’s next; “Chuck Crisp announces that Florida has sunshine!”

… good Lord.

[Michael]

2:59PM, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! GIVE IT A REST ALREADY, ITS TOO LATE FOR SCARE TACTICS. EITHER VOTE OR SHUT UP!!! OBAMA WILL WIN THE PRESIDENCY NEXT WEEK, SO EITHER GET BEHIND HIM OR MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!

Who is going to challenge this fraud in 2010 ?

this is awsome! thanks gov!

Hey Charlie -- every hear of Absentee Ballots?

Great way to waste more tax dollars and suck up to the DEMs with extended hours for Early Voting.

Since DEMs will be the only people voting for Charlie in 2010.

Every Republican I know is itching to vote against Charlie in the Primary 2010.

Won't it be hilarious to see Charlie defeated by his own party in a Primary in 2010?

Lame duck already.

Why don't we just vote all year long without any rules. That would give everyone ample opportunity to vote. The election should run from Jan 1st, 2012 until the national election day. this way nobody is suppressed. (dripping sarcasm in case you missed it).

Hey Michael (3:08), just like you didn't get behind President Bush and moved to another country, right?

what a bunch of haters up in here. go get a life you dorks

[Omega83]

so will the state be sending funds to the counties to pay for the extra hours needed to run the polling centers? or the extra energy consumed to keep to turn the lights on?

This isn't very "green" of the Governor...why waste all that extra energy?

Shouldn't we be conserving?

Omega -
Good point. These costs will come straight out of our (taxpayers') pockets.
Thanks, all you Dems who can't figure out how to vote on election day.

You are welcome.

[Laura]

Good for Charlie Crist!

Ironically, it is the working class who will benefit from this, many whom are Republicans. Every American should support giving everyone the best chance to participate in this process, no matter your political affiliation. Those that see this as politics only and not our right to vote should be ashamed of themselves. This way, the store clerk who works all day can vote in the evening, or the mom who has to wait for her husband to arrive home to watch the little ones..and a myriad of others...both Democrats and Republicans.

If no votes are suppressed, there should be no argument about voter suppression. Charlie made the right call. If folks are voting legally, why precisely do we want four hour waits, especially for elderly people? Voting is about people and it is frankly disgusting that Florida Republicans were looking for waysto make voting less easy. That's not what our country is about. Not what soldiers fight and die for.

Wow, Republicans on this blog seem really mad about people voting.

If it was up to them this year, we wouldn't have any elections at all.

I will never vote for Crist again! He is a Democrat.

[2000, 2004, 2008...When will it end for Florida???]

Charlie has received enlightenment about the vote supression strategy from Karl Rove at McCain HQ. The fix is back in!!!

[Early voting is bad for America]

Early voting is bad and by Crist doing this he just gave the election to Obama. I am shocked and disgusted.

[Anne]

What is wrong with you? Republicans are allowed to vote early too! Early voting is not some huge conspiracy. Good heavens people, try to control your venom.

Anne Obtuse, let me explain...

remember when CC said he was a Ronald Reagan Repub? LOL....

Other than he has no authority to do this, it is not a bad idea. Gee, I wonder if this will garner a lawsuit?

[Jason]

Wow. Crist does the right thing and the republicans blow up at him.

[Early voting is disgusting]

Early voting allows the thugs and the poor to vote. It disgusts me.

[Republican AGAINST Crist]

This is the final straw. I swear to God I will not vote for this man in 2010. I have never been more disappointed in a Republican than I am right now in Charlie Crist. This is an outrage.

[Republican AGAINST Crist]

How dare Crist allow people even more opportunity to vote! If we had everyone vote, we would never have another far right republican again!

[Republican AGAINST Crist]

3:55 I didn't post that now you stop you ACORN lover.

[Republican AGAINST Crist]

I like to touch little boys

[Mike]

"Early voting is disgusting"

Move to a dictatorship if you're so anti-democracy. And you can vote early too, thug.

[King Gator]

Where do I cast my early vote - I'm voting for Charlie as Homecoming King! Nice work with this Mr Gov. and good job with the Seminole Indians/Blackjack. Still not voting for you 2010. Property tax relief was a joke.

[Out of the Loop]

Why do Republicans hate early voting or Charlie's decision to extend the hours? I just want to understand....

Charlie Crist is in on this I think. He is another corrupt Democrat that needs to be voted out of office! Charlie Crist and Obama are trying to STEAL this election with early voting.

[Crist and Obama STEAL election]

Crist and Obama are stealing the election through early voting. This is what happens when you let two Democrats be in charge! Crist just went against the legislature and is trying to steal the election for his candidate. It is a SAD SAD day in America.

[Election is Over!]

It's over! Obama has won! If you haven't voted by now, don't bother .. it's a waste of your time. It's over, It's over! President Obama is ready to lead the Republican fools, socialists and "fake" conservatives out of the economic hell!

[The Election is not over]

If you support Obama make sure you get out and vote. It's the most important thing you can do.

[Ronnie]

I would have stood in line for 4 hours to vote for McCain except there were too many "democrats" in that same line. I'm moving to Texas or Alaska - you can have this b.s. *Plus I knew it was a waste of time to vote for McCain anyway .. he's going to lose with or without my vote.

[Republicans Don't Like Fair Elections]

You republican's just hate to see fair elections because you know when more people get to vote the better the chance that your guy loses. How can you argue against allowing more people to vote? I had to wait in line for 5 hours on Sunday to vote. That's absurd.

"An outrage", what are you talking about 3:51? You're an idiot, this was a smart political move by Charlie and I'm sure he doesn't care if you don't vote for him b/c you probably didn't vote for him in 06, I'm sure you were one of the nut cases with Gallagher. Charlie did the right thing, you R's are just scared that Barack is going to carry the state and then you have no way of winning the White House.

[Sandy]

Why do McCain supporters hate the idea of giving every American a chance to vote? Doesn't seem very patriotic...

[Omega83]

4:02

Early voting itself is not the problem, so long as its budgeted for and the state helps counties out with the mandate. Changing it a week out is my problem.

The executive issuing unilateral orders is also my problem...I despised the Bushes for the very same reason. I am a firm believer in separation of powers, so when they complain about "activist judges" their hypocrisy is apalling

[Hey Sandy]

Voting is not patriotic, wearing a lapel pin with the flag on it is patriotic. Did you miss the memo?

[Anne]

I am not remotely obtuse, whoever you are at 3:44. I note however, that you never acutally get around to explaining. I see a lot of people who are claiming that early voting is somehow a chance for democrats to "steal" the election, but they put forward no actual evidence (look that word up in the dictionary if you are unfamiliar with it's meaning). If you have some evidence of actual voter fraud, instead of just anonymously kvetching about it on a blog,DO something.

[ACORN]

Vote early and vote often!