Florida Extends Early Voting Hours

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist decreed yesterday that early-voting locations stay open 12 hours a day instead of the usual eight, in an attempt to address hours-long lines at many polling places, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Crist's failure to consult with his party's leadership has ruffled some Republican feathers, but the public seems thrilled at the change.

"'We wanted to make sure we got in line early because yesterday the line was around the corner," said a voter who showed up at 5am. Nearly 1.2 million Floridians have voted so far, some facing lines of up to five hours. The extended hours have cut the wait to less than an hour in most precincts.