What Charlie Crist Has To Say About Rick Scott’s Handling Of Election 2012

In what may be a preview of the governor’s race, former governor Charlie Crist directly criticized Governor Rick Scott before a U.S. Senate hearing on voting rights. Crist was critical of Scott for helping to pass a 2011 election law that limited early voting hours. 

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Credit mike3k

In a U.S. Senate hearing, Crist lambasted Scott for signing an election law that reduced early voting hours, when many minorities vote.

Crist said the law was meant to give the GOP an edge by cutting down on a period when many Democrats, independents and minorities vote.  The Miami Herald quotes:

“The outcome of these decisions was quite obvious,” Crist said. “Florida, which four years earlier was a model for efficiency, became once again a late-night TV joke.”

Crist made no mention of the role local election supervisors may have had in the long lines by failing to open more early voting sites.  The Tampa Bay Times has a full transcript of his comments. 

Scott, on CNN this morning, admitted that reduced early voting hours and a long ballot, both the product of GOP legislators, contributed to voting problems.  This acknowledgement was a change from his statements during the election when he insisted, “we did the right thing.”