Rebecca Morton

Rebecca Morton, Professor of Politics at New York University, will complete a book analyzing the significant variation in how election laws are administered across the nation and how this affects the U.S. political system. Her preliminary research shows that even if states have the same laws, the enforcement of those laws is often selective and influenced by partisan considerations.  Morton will explore the effect of election officials’ discretionary powers to determine who can and cannot vote, with special focus on the issue of felon disenfranchisement, and how these often arbitrary decisions can affect election outcomes.