The silence from Gov. Rick Scott is deafening.

Three times in recent weeks, Florida's 67 county elections supervisors have written to Scott and asked to meet with him to ease his concerns about a bill requiring his administration to develop an online voter registration system by October 2017.

Three times, Scott has responded with silence.

Not "I'm too busy."

Not "Go away."

Nothing.

"Unfortunately, no response," Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley told his colleagues Thursday as he urged them to mobilize their constituents to call or email Scott in favor of an idea now embraced in 25 states.

In a state Capitol where genuine bipartisanship is exceedingly rare, a unified Legislature passed SB 228, creating an electronic registration form 2 1/2 years from now. The lopsided votes were 109-9 in the House and 37-3 in the Senate. Votes on Mother's Day resolutions have had more suspense.

But Scott's chief elections official, Ken Detzner, strongly opposes the idea and says it would be risky to do it at a time when voting and driver's license databases are being upgraded and the 2016 presidential election is around the corner.

Here's where things get even more strange.

Detzner has been shouting for weeks about why an online voter registration form is a dumb idea, warning about "forces of evil" out to disrupt Florida elections. But he told reporters Scott hasn't asked him his opinion.

"The governor's not asked me about that issue," Detzner said. "I'm just standing by. It's his decision to make."

In other words, Detzner is also getting the silent treatment from his boss, the governor.

Scott is in a tight spot.

If he signs the bill, Detzner will lose credibility, because it will be obvious that Scott didn't give a whit about his concerns.

If Scott vetoes the bill, he risks having it overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature in an ultimate gesture of contempt that would slap the label of "lame duck" squarely on his back.

It's no coincidence that the Senate sent the bill to Scott last week. That started a 15-day clock that requires Scott to make a decision by May 22, before the special session on the budget starting June 1.

For advice, Scott might consult his local elections supervisor in Naples, Collier County's Jennifer Edwards.

"I join the other 66 supervisors in support of online voter registration," Edwards told the Tampa Bay Times. "In Collier, about 70 percent of registrations are initiated at DHSMV (the state highway safety agency) and with online registration, only those prospective voters who have a Florida driver's license or Florida ID will be able to complete a registration online."

The Florida Democratic Party on Monday urged Scott to sign the bill immediately.

Pew Charitable Trusts will release a study next week on the growing popularity of online registration.

And in the swing state of Ohio, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, said he plans to implement an online system despite opposition by legislators.

Scott's press office says this about the status of the bill: "Gov. Scott is currently reviewing the legislation."

Well! That certainly clarifies things.

Contact Steve Bousquet at bousquet@tampabay.com or (850) 224-7263.