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What political mastermind thought up the idea of cutting back on early voting during the 2012 elections?

Early voting is a smash. In 2008, 55 percent of voters cast their ballots before Election Day -- 2.4 million people.

So the geniuses in our state legislature want to shorten early voting by a week?

A bill that won narrow preliminary approval in the House last week changes the start of early voting from the third Thursday before an election to the second Thursday before. A final vote is expected today. If it becomes law, the measure will go into effect in 2012, another presidential election year when interest in early voting is likely to be at least as strong as it was in 2008.

The goal, say proponents, is to save money. To which George Gilbert, director of elections for Guilford County, said: It won't.

If early voting begins later, a crush of voters will require more early voting sites to accommodate the crowds. There won't be any cost savings.

"I've got to meet the demand of voters," Gilbert said.

It's amazing the House members who support this move don't get it. Going against the demands of voters isn't a ticket for re-election.

John Faircloth got it. Originally a co-sponsor of the bill, the High Point Republican said he listened to debate on the House floor last week and changed his mind. He was convinced, despite assurances of supporters, that taking away a week of voting would discourage some people from voting.

"We ought to do all we can to help people vote," he said.

Faircloth was one of only three Republican House members who voted against the bill. Only one Democrat voted for it. The partisan split, unfortunately, creates suspicions that most Republicans don't want to do all they can to help people vote. They want to make it more difficult.

That's foolish. While early voting strongly favored Democrats in 2008, Republicans got a stronger vote out early in 2010.

But the point isn't that one party or the other might benefit; it's that people who are really excited about elections can't wait to vote. So, don't make them wait.

Rep. Bert Jones, an unaffiliated legislator from Reidsville, said there's nothing sacred about the current early voting dates.

Not so fast. The right to vote is sacred. While voting was limited to a single day until recently, once early voting was implemented and became so popular, scaling it back almost counts as a violation of something sacred. That's especially true when it's done without good reason.

When it's done in conjunction with other efforts that raise similar suspicions, such as a requirement that voters show a photo identification at the polls, it's alarming.

These are steps in the wrong direction. If they are politically motivated, they are based on miscalculation. Voters will remember who's trying to limit their access to the polls.

Other Republicans should come around to Faircloth's way of thinking on this issue.