“Trump’s focus on Georgia election board raises fears for November vote”

August 8, 2024, 6:50 pmelection administration2024 Election Cycle, GeorgiaTabatha Abu El-Haj

Washington Post: Critics, including members of the state’s GOP establishment, worry about the administrative changes to Georgia’s election rules–on the election and on voters’ confidence in the count. “Since May, an unambiguously pro-Trump majority has controlled the state election… Continue reading

Are Joy and Optimism Essential to the Future of American Democracy?

August 8, 2024, 8:02 amUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

With very little actual election-law news in this 24-hour news cycle, I am thinking about the downside of emphasizing our democratic dismay. We should not ignore the many risks to our electoral system. But should we also be worried that… Continue reading

State of the Parties: Georgia

August 8, 2024, 5:47 ampolitical partiesTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Atlanta Journal Constitution provides a window into the Georgia Republican Party. In a period, when Democratic Party leaders have been doing precisely what they are supposed to do (broker internal conflicts and usher the party toward electoral success), Trump… Continue reading

Distinguished Scholarship Award–APPLY SOON!

August 7, 2024, 10:16 amUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

The AALS Section on Election Law is soliciting submissions for its annual Distinguished Scholarship Award. This year, the Section will grant two awards, one for 2023 and one for 2024. Each award will be given to a single work that… Continue reading

Voter Intimidation Made Easier in Arizona

August 7, 2024, 6:10 amUncategorizedFirst Amendment, voter intimidationTabatha Abu El-Haj

Votebeat reports Maricopa County Superior Judge issued a temporary injunction preventing Arizona from enforcing a manual interpreting the state’s laws that prevent voter intimidation. The judge found the new rules over broad in violation of the First Amendment, accepting Arizona… Continue reading

“Georgia Board Grants Local Officials New Power Over Certifying Elections”

August 7, 2024, 5:51 amUncategorizedballot counting, election admiinstration, polarizationTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. TImes: In a move that is likely to sow discord in the counting of ballots this fall, the state’s Georgia Election Board approved on Tuesday a measure that empowers local officials to refuse or delay certification of a… Continue reading

Impressive new vote.gov redesign

August 6, 2024, 5:47 pmelection administration, voter registrationelection informationJustin Levitt

On today’s anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, the Vice President name-checked vote.gov. And it looks like the site recently got a facelift that’s a giant improvement over its effectively 8-bit predecessor (which wasn’t all that… Continue reading

“Governing the House with Multiple Parties”

August 6, 2024, 3:24 pmpolitical partiesgovernance, Proportional Representation, structural reformTabatha Abu El-Haj

Lee Drutman and Rob Oldham at New American have published a new report exploring how multiple parties in Congress might affect governance. This is huge. Any move toward structural reform must demonstrate that legislatures would be better able to deliver… Continue reading

Democratic primary for Arizona’s open 3d congressional district to go to automatic recount

August 6, 2024, 3:17 pmprimaries, recounts2024 Primary Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

AP News: “Former Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari led former state lawmaker Raquel Terán by 42 votes, with 42,819 ballots counted — a margin of 0.1 percentage points. . . . Under Arizona law, a recount is triggered… Continue reading

Litigation Stalls Utah’s Republican Primary for 2nd Congressional District

August 6, 2024, 3:13 pmprimaries, recounts2024 Primary Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

AP News: “Results of a recount completed Monday in the Republican primary for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District showed incumbent U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy still narrowly leads her opponent, who preemptively filed a lawsuit contesting the results. The Associated Press… Continue reading

Campaign Finance Roundtable

August 6, 2024, 9:40 amcampaign financeTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Election Law Journal sponsors a panel on the practice of “redboxing,” a tactic used by candidates to coordinate with the political action committees that are supporting them. Moderator:Marc Meredith, PhDUniversity of PennsylvaniaParticipants:Saurav GhoshCampaign Legal CenterAbby WoodUniversity of Southern CaliforniaRichard… Continue reading

Selection of Governor Walz–Implicates Pay-to-Play Rules

August 6, 2024, 7:55 amcampaign finance2024 Election Cycle, Pay-to-PlayTabatha Abu El-Haj

Jason Abel and his colleagues at Steptoe flag that selecting a sitting Governor as a running mate implicates critical pay-to-pay rules. In this helpful brief, the authors lay out three sources of pay-to-play rules that now constrain the Harris campaign’s… Continue reading

“Jenna Ellis, Former Trump Lawyer, Will Cooperate in Arizona Election Fraud Case”

August 6, 2024, 5:57 amUncategorized2020 Election Conspiracies, The Big LieTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. Times: Ellis is one of 18 individuals charged by Arizona for their involvement in efforts to overturn Arizona’s election results in 2020. Arizona agreed to drop nine fraud, forgery, and conspiracy charges in exchange for her cooperation and… Continue reading

RFK’s Ballot Access Problem

August 6, 2024, 5:45 amballot accessindependent presidential candidate, RFKTabatha Abu El-Haj

RFK appears to have lied about his N.Y. residency, which may cost him a spot on the N.Y. ballot. At a hearing yesterday, the landlord of the address listed testified that RFK had never been his tenant.