Backers of the bill to expand the size of the U.S. House of Representatives expect to get a vote in the U.S. Senate before August 6. The bill in the Senate is S1257. The House version, HR 1906, passed the House several months ago. The bill would give D.C. a voting representative, and also give another seat to Utah. If the bill were signed into law, one of the little-noticed defects in the Electoral College would be cured. Ever since 1961, there have been an even number of votes in the electoral college. This makes a tie much more likely than if there were an odd number of electoral college votes. But the bill would restore an odd number of electoral votes immediately. Utah would gain an electoral vote, but D.C. wouldn’t, since the 23rd amendment limits D.C. to 3 electoral votes (as long as any state is so low in population that the lowest-population state also just has 3 electoral votes).

A new procedure in Iowa lets any unqualified party circulate a “voter registration” petition. If that petition gets 850 names, then that unqualified party qualifies to receive a list of the names and addresses of voters who register as members of that party on voter registration forms. The Iowa Green and Libertarian Parties will each circulate that type of petition for both parties. Voters are free to sign for more than one party, so this idea will save work for both parties.