All posts by Tabatha Abu El-Haj

“FBI investigating post-election text threats sent to Latino, LGBTQ people”

November 19, 2024, 4:59 amUncategorized2024 Election Cycle, hate speech, Misinformation and DisinformationTabatha Abu El-Haj

In the immediate wake of the election various, mostly young, black people were targeted with texts and emails directing them to report to the plantation. Now, the Washington Post reports that similar threats were sent to the Latino and LGBTQ… Continue reading

“Bucks County board chair says comment about violating election law has been misinterpreted”

November 19, 2024, 4:47 amabsentee ballots, recounts, UncategorizedIndependent State Legislature Doctrine, state courtsTabatha Abu El-Haj

Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Diane Ellis-Marseglia, the Bucks County Commissioner, has apologized for the “upset and confusion” caused by her defiant comments last week in which she said: “People violate laws any time they want,” she added. “So, for me,… Continue reading

Party Politics is Transactional Politics

November 18, 2024, 6:14 ampolitical parties2024 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

The theory of associational party building, which Didi Kuo and I have written about, started with my in-depth look at the work of Harry Reid in Nevada. It is perhaps not surprising then that of all the commentary… Continue reading

“These Philadelphia voters went for Donald Trump in bigger numbers than ever before”

November 13, 2024, 4:48 ampolitical polarization2024 Election TurnoutTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s analysis of local turnout data reveals a few interesting tidbits: Nearly two-thirds of the votes for Trump in the city (90,000 votes) came from majority-white precincts, even though only a third of city precincts are majority white.… Continue reading

Texas AG working from Alabama’s Playbook circa 1955 in targeting civil rights groups

September 21, 2024, 1:24 pmUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

This is “old” (last Friday), but important news. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pulling tricks straight out of Alabama’s playbook in in the mid-1950. He is targeting the associations supporting Latino voter registration efforts, following LULAC’s endorsement of … Continue reading

A message to the “third-party curious”

September 21, 2024, 12:59 pmthird parties2024 Election Cycle, Spoiler PhenomenonTabatha Abu El-Haj

Micah Sifry offers a thoughtful reflection on how to engage with those who feel alienated with our two-party system. Sifry notes, “All seven key battleground states will have at least one spoiler candidate on the ballot,” and only a few… Continue reading

“Direct Democracy Scores a Win in Michigan’s High Court. Can It Survive November?”

August 10, 2024, 9:51 amdirect democracystate supreme courts, threats to democracyTabatha Abu El-Haj

Bolts Magazine: Michigan’s Republican legislature’s seemingly duplicitous strategy to get around progressive ballot measures struck down by the state’s high court. “Michigan progressives gathered enough signatures in 2018 to put two labor measures on the ballot: one to raise… Continue reading

Ground Game: LULAC Endorses Harris

August 10, 2024, 5:38 amvoting2024 Election Cycle, mobilization, multiracial democracy, voter registrationTabatha Abu El-Haj

CBS News: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization with a membership-base of over 130,000 breaks with a 90-year tradition and endorses Harris. “LULAC has a formidable grassroots operation… Continue reading

Shawn McCutcheon is Back

August 9, 2024, 1:30 pmcampaign financeMaine, RCVTabatha Abu El-Haj

Shawn McCutcheon: People running in races with ranked choice voting states should be allowed to accept several times the legal limit. On August 7, the Commission made public an advisory opinion request from Shaun McCutcheon. The requestor asks whether for… Continue reading

“Republicans Ask US Supreme Court To Reinstate Arizona Voter Suppression Laws”

August 9, 2024, 1:22 pmNVRA (motor voter), Uncategorized, voter idArizonaTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Democracy Docket: The Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans applied to the Supreme Court for emergency relief to reinstate Arizona’s strict proof of citizenship law. “Republicans ask the Supreme Court to reject state voter registration forms if the… Continue reading

Race and Representation in the Battleground Counties

August 9, 2024, 6:47 amvoting2020 Election Cycle, new vote denial, race, swing states, voter turnoutTabatha Abu El-Haj

Voter turnout nationally during the 2020 Presidential Election was 66%—the highest since 1900. But a recent analysis from The Union of Concerned Scientists of voter turnout by precinct in 11 battleground counties found clear racial disparities, driven in part by… Continue reading

Special Prosecutor Jack Smith seeks delay to assess implications of SCOTUS ruling on Trump Jan. 6 case

August 9, 2024, 6:46 amUncategorizedFederal case, January 6, presidential immunityTabatha Abu El-Haj

Axios‘ article offers a summary of the implications of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request for a two-week continuance to further analyze the Supreme Court’s immunity cases. Meanwhile, Politico provides a helpful analysis of the nuances of the Supreme Court’s… Continue reading

“Case that could keep RFK Jr. off New York’s presidential ballot ends”

August 9, 2024, 6:32 amballot access, third partiesTabatha Abu El-Haj

Michael Hill (AP) reports that the bench trial “in Albany over whether Kennedy’s New York nominating petitions should be invalidated ended Thursday without Justice Christina Ryba issuing an immediate decision. Any ruling by the trial judge is expected to be… Continue reading

Walz–Money in Politics (Just enough less)

August 8, 2024, 7:15 pmUncategorizedmoney in politicsTabatha Abu El-Haj

A new profile of Tim Walz’ financial disclosures in the Washington Post reveals the Governor of Minnesota is a college-educated, white-collar professional, but also just upper-middle class. Of all the books and articles I have read over the years about… Continue reading