Breaking (but not surprising) News–Republicans will control the House

November 16, 2022, 7:48 pmUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

NY Times is reporting, as are other outlets, the expected news: “After more than a week of counting, the Republican Party gained the 218 House seats needed to claim the majority, ushering in an era of divided government.” There are… Continue reading

So, How’s Rank Choice Voting Working out for Alaska?

November 16, 2022, 7:36 pmcumulative votingAlaska, rank choice votingTabatha Abu El-Haj

Like me, some of you may only recently have gotten interested in rank-choice voting. One-week out, I found myself curious: How is RCV playing out in Alaska? First, and foremost, the process seems to be working smoothly and the vast… Continue reading

The Known and Unknown Donor Thumbprints on Our Political Choices

November 16, 2022, 2:18 pmcampaign financedark money, Policy ReponsivenessTabatha Abu El-Haj

Donor thumbprints are all over our choices and our opportunities to make political choices. And Americans don’t have a lot of political options when it comes to reducing their influence—thanks to the Supreme Court (a product of their influence). This… Continue reading

“Election officials feared the worst. Here’s why baseless claims haven’t fueled chaos”

November 16, 2022, 1:44 pmcheap speech, chicanery, election administrationTabatha Abu El-Haj

NPR has a nice analysis of why voting went smoothly last week and why those seeking to spread false claims and sow doubts failed to fuel a similar level of chaos this election cycle: Preparation, Security, and the former President’s… Continue reading

Watch My Conversation with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes about What the Defeat of Election Deniers in Swing States Means for the Future of American Democracy

November 16, 2022, 1:23 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Important conversation you can watch here.

“How did Gascón end up launching a criminal probe sparked by far-right election conspiracy theories?”

November 16, 2022, 12:43 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

LA Times: In the months following the Pit event, Gascón became an extraordinarily unlikely backer of some True the Vote claims, echoing in an Oct. 14 news conference the group’s allegations that Konnech stored poll worker data overseas. Ultimately,… Continue reading

“Women will make up majority in Colorado legislature”

November 16, 2022, 7:35 amUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

Pluribus News reports that “Colorado is set to become the second state in the country where women constitute a majority in the legislature.” Nevada was the first. This milestone comes “more than 150 years after [Colorado] became the first state… Continue reading

A New Form of Preemption? Clear Effort to Undermine Local Democracy

November 15, 2022, 7:05 pmchicaneryTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Pennsylvania State House took its first concrete step in a long-standing effort to impeach left-leaning, BLM supported–and most importantly elected and re-elected–District Attorney, Larry Krasner. The House committee has issued Articles of Impeachment. This now moves to the… Continue reading

“Making it easier for Black people to vote had unexpected consequences”

November 15, 2022, 6:48 pmVoting Rights ActNew ScholarshipTabatha Abu El-Haj

Nikita Lalwani at Monkey Cage has an interview with Nicholas Eubank and Adriane Fresh (Duke University), the authors of a provocative new study based on data showing that counties subject to Section 5 pre-clearance mandates under Voting Rights Act would… Continue reading

What the litigation path of eligibility challenges to Donald Trump may look like

November 15, 2022, 5:43 pmelectoral collegeDerek Muller

If I had a crystal ball into the future of litigation surrounding Donald Trump’s candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, I would project something like this: In January 2024, administrative tribunals in Illinois and New Hampshire will issue the first… Continue reading

Governor Kemp testified before Fulton grand jury today

November 15, 2022, 1:53 pmchicanery2020 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

Atlanta Journal Constitution reported earlier today, based on two anonymous sources, the news that Governor Kemp would be testifying “before the Fulton County special grand jury examining whether former President Donald Trump and his allies criminally meddled in Georgia’s 2020… Continue reading

Breaking: Georgia Democrats File to Expand Early Voting

November 15, 2022, 10:34 amUncategorized2022 Election Cycle, early votingTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Georgia Democratic Party has filed a suit challenging the Secretary of State’s decision to bar counties from permitting early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Thank you to Stephen Fowler. There is a fuller article now at the Atlanta … Continue reading

Conservative Efforts to Re-shape School Boards

November 15, 2022, 7:05 amUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

Local elections obviously matter a great deal too: “Republican groups including the 1776 Project PAC, which steered millions of dollars into local school races this year amid predictions of a red wave.” AP News reports on the lay of the… Continue reading

My New One at Slate: “I’ve Been Way More Worried About American Democracy Than I Am Right Now”

November 14, 2022, 7:53 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: For the last two years, I have been writing about my grave concerns over the future of American democracy. With developments over the last week, culminating on Monday night with the… Continue reading