Rick Scott does a 180

Florida Gov. Scott - who cut early voting days - now says more early voting days are needed

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott — who slashed early voting from 14 to 8 days, then defended the decision in court — now says he thinks returning to 14 early voting days is a good idea.

The first-term Republican said in a statement “we need shorter ballots. We need more early voting days, which should include an option of the Sunday before Election Day. And, we need more early voting locations.”

In 2011, Scott signed an elections bill that cut early voting from 14 to 8 days and eliminated the Sunday before Election Day — one used by many black churches for get-out-the-vote drives — as an early voting day. The state was criticized last fall for six-hour-long voting lines, though Scott then defended the law.

He said Thursday the changes will ease long lines and delays in counting ballots.