On July 18, the city council of Santa Clara, California, gave tentative approval to using proportional representation for future city council elections. There would be two districts, each electing three city councilmembers. Choice voting (also known as Single Transferable Vote) would be used, so that someone could be elected with support from 25% of the voters within that district.

The Charter Review Commission for Santa Clara had earlier recommended this idea. Santa Clara is a charter city, so the voters would decide whether to make this change, in the June 2018 election. The next step is for the City Attorney to draft the proposed amendment.

The Utah state elections office has this registration tally as of July 18, 2017. The percentages: Republican 48.30%; Democratic 11.62%; Independent American 1.71%; Libertarian .85%; Constitution .35%; United Utah .003% (40 registered members); independent and other 37.17%.

Just prior to the November 2016 election, the percentages were: Republican 48.40%; Democratic 11.39%; Independent American 1.41%; Libertarian .81%; Constitution .33%; independent and other 37.66%.

These figures are for active voters. A handful of states also keep track of inactive voters, but traditionally B.A.N. doesn’t use those figures.

On May 31, 2017, Andrew Straw filed a federal lawsuit against Indiana’s 2% petition requirement for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties, as applied to people who are physically disabled and unable to engage in petitioning in public in the normal fashion, which requires mobility. The lawsuit is based on the federal law that prohibits states from discriminating against disabled individuals. Straw v State of Indiana, s.d., 1:17cv-1797. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge William T. Lawrence, a Bush Jr. appointee.

For 2018, Straw wants to be on the ballot as the Disability Party nominee for Secretary of State. Here is the ballotpedia page about him.