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The association of the state's 67 chief elections officials voted in concept at its annual winter meeting in Orlando to informally present the idea to the Legislature and to start rallying support for what its members concede would be a sea change in how Floridians vote.

''I think the voters spoke loud and clear in the general election of 2004 that they want other options than to be limited to 12 hours on a Tuesday to vote,'' said Bill Cowles, Orange County supervisor of elections and president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. ``We should seize upon the opportunity in 2005 to make the changes so we can try it in 2006.''

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What we're basically telling the Legislature is the precinct system is an archaic system, which does not serve the intent of the voters very well,'' said Ion Sancho, Leon County elections supervisor. ``Requiring that you go to your precinct to vote is not unlike [Caesar] requiring everyone in the Roman Empire showing up in the town of birth so you could do a census.''

Ted Costa, a Sacramento anti-tax activist who drew up the original petition to recall Gov. Gray Davis, has been cleared to gather signatures for a measure that would profoundly alter the way California elects its congressional and legislative delegations.

For years, critics have complained that lawmakers from both parties have carved districts with one aim in mind: protecting incumbents. In last month's election, not a single legislative incumbent was ousted, while the typical margin of victory exceeded 30%.

Costa's constitutional amendment would strip lawmakers of the power to draw districts and give it instead to a panel of retired judges chosen by a bipartisan group of legislative leaders.

In the interview, Schwarzenegger said he favored such an approach.

Republican leaders say they are eager to see the change carried out as quickly as possible, so that districts are redrawn before the decennial census in 2010. That could potentially give Schwarzenegger a more cooperative Legislature to work with, assuming he is reelected in 2006.

"The problem we have in California is we allow elected officials to draw the lines. That's inherently wrong," said Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. "You're allowing the people who are running for office to draw the lines so they can predetermine the districts they can run in."

Twelve states already rely on external boards or commissions to draw electoral lines. But none uses retired judges in the way Costa's measure envisions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.