Two agencies of the federal government always publish compilations of the vote for candidates for Congress. Since 1920 the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives has been doing so, and since 1976 the Federal Election Commission has also done so. The Clerk’s publication is called “Statistics of the Congressional Election of (such-and-such a date)” and the FEC’s book is called “Federal Elections (year).”

Normally, both books have been published within 6 months of the election. It has now been over 8 months since the election, and neither agency has published its book. Thanks to Tom Jones for this news.

According to an employee of the Illinois legislature, the two interesting election law bills that were supposed to have been passed by July 31, will each get an extension into August. The bills are HB 1685 (the National Popular Vote Plan for presidential elections) and HB 1752 (timid ballot access reform).

Since the Illinois legislature is operating in special session, deadlines for enacting bills are in force. Both bills have passed both houses of the Illinois legislature, but both are in slightly different versions, so concurrence is needed.

On July 30, the Reform Institute issued a press release, calling attention to its excellent amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in N.Y. State Bd. of Elections v Lopez Torres. Both the amicus, and the press release, discuss the dismal state of New York state ballot access. See the press release here.

The Reform Institute is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and is associated with U.S. Senator John McCain. It is almost ten years old and has sometimes been a friend of minor parties and independent candidates, and sometimes a foe. It has supported federal campaign finance laws that make it very difficult for new parties to attract large contributions, and it has sometimes supported “top-two” election systems that keep minor party members off the general election ballot. On the other hand, it has consistently condemed severe ballot access petition requirements.