Michael Latner is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. His research focuses on political representation and electoral systems, including redistricting and gerrymandering in the US, and the impact of electoral administrative law on political participation. In his role, Dr. Latner works to bring public attention to robust scientific measures of integrity and bias in US electoral institutions, and the impact of electoral bias on public health, environmental, and related safety policies and outcomes.
Dr. Latner is a professor of political science and public policy at California Polytechnic State University.
Dr. Latner earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Irvine, and a B.A. in political science and government from California State University, Chico. He has published extensively on election-related issues in the academic and popular press, and co-authored articles for The Guardian and The Washington Post.
How Science Can Make Voting Fair
Selected publications
Latner, M. “Diagnosing Electoral Integrity” chapter in Electoral Integrity in America: Securing Democracy,Norris P., Cameron S. and Wynter T. (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2018.
Latner M., Dekhtyar A., Khosmood F., Angelini N., and Voorhees A.,“Measuring Legislative Behavior: An Exploration of Digitaldemocracy.org” California Journal of Politics and Policy, vol 9, issue 3, 2017
Latner M., “Darwinian Democracy? How evolutionary theory informs constitutional design” chapter in Handbook of Biology and Politics, Steven Peterson and Albert Somit (eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017.
Latner M., McGann A., Smith C., and Keena A., Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, The Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty with, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Latner M., McGann A., Smith C., and Keena A.,“A Discernable and Manageable Standard for Partisan Gerrymandering” December, 2015., Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 14(4): 295-311.