All posts by Tabatha Abu El-Haj

Better Parties? Are they possible and how will SCOTUS shape that project?

April 16, 2023, 6:36 ampolitical parties, primariespolitical partiesTabatha Abu El-Haj

I recently had the pleasure of talking about both of these questions with Lee Drutman on Politics in Question. As I have been spending more time talking to others about prospects for party reform–including this past week at More … Continue reading

“Do We Need to Party Better to Fix U.S. Democracy?”

February 4, 2023, 7:58 ampolitical parties, political polarizationNew ScholarshipTabatha Abu El-Haj

Didi Kuo and I recently spoke with Daniel Stid, Executive Director of Lyceum Labs about our recent article, Associational Party Building: A Path to Rebuilding Democracy. Daniel pushed us on the questions such as whether we are calling… Continue reading

“Lawsuit alleges lifetime jury ban harms Black New Yorkers and undermines democracy”

December 13, 2022, 6:35 amfelon votingfelon bars on jury service, felon disenfranchisementTabatha Abu El-Haj

Brigid Bergin (Gothamist) reports on a recently filed federal class-action suit challenging the constitutionality of a New York state law that bars felons from jury service. The suit argues that jury service is a critical democratic practice, and… Continue reading

The Profound Ahistoricism of Moore v. Harper

December 6, 2022, 1:43 pmredistrictingIndependent State Legislature Doctrine, Moore v. HarperTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow about the scope of state legislative authority to determine “the time, place, and manner” of federal elections. Petitioners’ position is that state legislatures are freed from state constitutional constraints when they make decisions… Continue reading

“Voting Without State Checks and Balances? A Close Look at the Independent State Legislature Theory”

December 1, 2022, 3:25 pmUncategorizedIndependent State Legislature Doctrine, Moore v. HarperTabatha Abu El-Haj

The New York City Bar Association hosted this excellent panel discussion, co-sponsored by the Brennan Center, in advance of next week’s oral arguments in Moore v. Harper. The panel featured Carter Phillips (Sidley Austin LLP, Counsel of Record for… Continue reading

The Limits of Federal Voting Rights Reform

November 28, 2022, 8:01 ampolitical parties, political polarizationTabatha Abu El-Haj

Voting rights are under attack, both by Republican state legislature and by the conservative majority of the Supreme Court. Given Congress’s rejection of voting reforms in January 2022, Didi Kuo and I argue, in our new article, that it… Continue reading

“Associational Party-Building: A Path to Rebuilding Democracy”

November 21, 2022, 6:34 ampolitical parties, political polarization, UncategorizedNew ScholarshipTabatha Abu El-Haj

Didi Kuo (Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, Stanford University) and I are excited to share our new article, Associational Party-Building: A Path to Rebuilding Democracy, which is out today in the Columbia Law Review Forum.… Continue reading

What role, if any, might turnout play in explaining the pattern of backlash to the President’s party in the first midterm of their presidency?

November 20, 2022, 5:28 amUncategorized2022 Election Cycle, voter turnoutTabatha Abu El-Haj

Almost exactly a year ago, I expressed skepticism that the Republican Party’s wins in Bucks County in the off-cycle 2021 election “amount[ed] to the GOP roaring back to life in the Pennsylvania suburbs.” In that post, I grumbled that:… Continue reading

Based on popular demand, Trump to return to Twitter

November 20, 2022, 4:34 amcheap speech, chicaneryTwitterTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. Times and everyone is reporting on Elon Musk’s decision to reinstate Trump after polling Twitter. It is so nice to finally have an answer, after all these years, to who “the people” are: 15 million Twitter users.… Continue reading

“Ohio Republicans launch effort to make citizen-led amendments harder to pass for voters”

November 19, 2022, 4:45 amdirect democracyEntrenchmentTabatha Abu El-Haj

Ohio Capitol Journal reports on a new push to limit direct democracy in Ohio. Following in South Dakota’s footsteps, and just a little over a week after Election Day, Ohio Republicans are talking about pushing an initiative that would… Continue reading

Pennsylvania Update

November 19, 2022, 4:39 amUncategorized2022 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

Philadelphia 3.0 ended the week with an election round-up. First, it notes, that youth voters seem to have tipped the election toward Fetterman: “According to data from CIRCLE at Tufts University, voters under 29 netted John Fetterman 120,000 votes of… Continue reading

Breaking News–GA Trial Court Rules Voting May Proceed on Saturday, Nov. 26, in the GA Senate runoff election

November 18, 2022, 4:46 pmUncategorized2022 Election Cycle, early voting, Georgia RunoffTabatha Abu El-Haj

Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that a Georgia Trial court has granted the Democratic Party and Warnock Campaign’s request for a declaratory judgment and injunction to allow for early voting on Saturday, November 26. Order is embedded in the article. “Fulton… Continue reading

Updated–It’s Now Official: Kari Lake Will Not Concede

November 18, 2022, 1:21 pmchicanery2022 Election Cycle, Election DeniersTabatha Abu El-Haj

Earlier in the week, I wrote that true to her brand, Kari Lake is refusing to concede in the Arizona Governor’s race. In a video released today, she has raised questions about the election process and emphasized to supporters… Continue reading