Michael Hanmer

Michael Hanmer is a Professor in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, where he also serves as Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a B.A. in Economics from SUNY Geneseo. Prior to Maryland, he was an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University (2004–2007).

His research focuses on American politics, emphasizing voting rights, election administration, civic engagement, and political methodology. Key works include Discount Voting: Voter Registration Reforms and Their Effects (2009) and co-authored books like Citizens of the World: Political Engagement and Policy Attitudes of Millennials across the Globe (2023). Recent studies address trust in elections, voting method innovations, and the intersection of sports and politics.

He advises the UMD Men’s Club Hockey Teams and participates in field experiments to improve voting accessibility. His research spans electoral behavior, survey methodology, and the impact of pandemic-era voting changes. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, though his contributions to electoral studies are widely recognized.

His work often bridges theoretical and applied research, with grants and projects analyzing voter mobilization, ballot design, and electoral reforms. He collaborates on initiatives like the National Voter Registration Act compliance studies and experimental methods to reduce vote over-reporting in surveys.