Michael Latner

Kendall Science Fellow

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Michael Latner is a Kendall Voting Rights Fellow with the Center for Science and Democracy. His research focuses on political representation and electoral systems. His most recent work has focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in the United States, and the impact of electoral administrative law on political participation. Michael holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Irvine, and is an associate professor of political science at California State Polytechnic University, where he recently directed the Masters in Public Policy program. See Michael's full bio.

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Michael's Latest Posts

Your Guide to Tuesday’s Transformation of Democracy

November 5, 2018 9:46 AM EDT

Democracy in America will be transformed Tuesday night, for better or worse. Or both. In the worst-case scenario, numerous voting rights and electoral reforms will go down in flames across the country, new barriers to voting will be erected, and despite winning millions of more votes, the more popular political party will fall short of winning governing control over the House of Representatives, designed to represent “the People alone,” as James Madison put it. Popular Sovereignty is but a quaint memory, the pillars of democracy crumble, and we submit to our oligarchic overlords. Read more >

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Source: Michael Latner/UCS

November Elections and the Art of Voter Suppression

October 15, 2018 9:00 AM EDT

The threat of democratic dysfunction illustrates the need for meaningful electoral reform and the protection of voting rights for all citizens. Read more >

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Electoral Reform Update: One State at a Time

October 4, 2018 10:00 AM EDT

Across the country this November, voters have an opportunity to improve the quality of U.S. elections in their states, and for the country as a whole. Read more >

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Environmental Justice Requires Electoral Reform: New Analysis

September 27, 2018 6:44 PM EDT

The Center for Science and Democracy has released a new analysis, Building a Healthier Democracy: The Link Between Voting Rights and Environmental Justice, which demonstrates the negative impact of restrictive election laws on voter turnout across Congressional districts (see the report and our impact maps here). Read more >

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Photo: KOMUnews/Flickr

As States Target University Students for Voter Suppression, Student Groups are Fighting Back

August 7, 2018 5:11 PM EDT

As the 2018 general midterm election approaches, college student voting rights are under attack.  Students are being specifically targeted for voter suppression in a number of states by excluding student identification as an acceptable form of voter identification, tightening up residency requirements, and selectively spreading misinformation. Fortunately, in several states, campus-wide and student-led movements are organizing and mobilizing college voters in a recognition of the historic role that students have played in the civil and voting rights movements in the United States and abroad.

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Photo: KOMUnews/Flickr
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