Experts Advisory: Unprecedented Challenges Confront 2020 Election

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COVID-19, A polarized electorate, absentee voting and questions about information security are just some of the potential challenges looming as the United States gears up for the 2020 Presidential election on Nov. 3.

The University at Albany has numerous experts who can handle a variety of election issues, including the Electoral College, the history of the Presidency and U.S. politics and election security.

UAlbany’s election experts include:

  • Carl Bon Tempo, associate professor of history, who teaches courses in 20th century American political history, public policy history, immigration history, and the history of American foreign policy. Bon Tempo's current research focuses on human rights politics and policies in the U.S. from the 1970's to the present.
  • Meghan Cook, program director, CTG UAlbany and adjunct professor, public administration and policy, who is an expert on election security, information sharing and integration and cross-boundary collaborative work.
  • Michael Malbin, professor of political science, who specializes in campaigns and elections (especially the role of money in politics) as well as the politics of the U.S. Congress. He teaches UAlbany's Semester in Washington and is executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute, an independent non-partisan think tank in Washington D.C.
  • Bruce Miroff, professor of political science and collins fellow, who teaches and writes on the American Presidency, American Political Development, American Political Theory, and Political Leadership.
  • Julie Novkov, professor of political science and women’s studies, whose research and teaching are situated at the intersection of law, history, U.S. political development, and subordinated identity. She views law as both a system of political and social control and as a site for reform through activists’ pressure.
  • Stephan Stohler, assistant professor of political science, whose research and teaching interests are in the areas of public law and comparative politics, with a particular focus on the politics of rights. He completed Reconstructing Rights: Courts, Parties, and Equality Rights in India, South Africa, and the United States, which examines the relationship between courts and political parties when interpreting constitutional rights. At Rockefeller, Dr. Stohler teaches courses in public law.