Officials want shorter ballot, more early voting

Elections supervisors want lawmakers to be less wordy when they put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. They also want greater flexibility in setting early voting days and sites.

Nine supervisors from across the state testified before the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Monday on some of 2012 election problems.

The Republican-led Legislature reduced early voting days from 14 to eight for the 2012 elections. They also put 11 proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot, making the ballot much longer and lengthening the time it took to vote.

Supervisors said the Legislature should have the same maximum 75-word ballot summary that citizen groups are held to when they petition to put proposed amendments on the ballot. They also want discretion to hold up to 14 days of early voting.