Dr. Anita Manion

Anita Manion is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a political analyst specializing in elections, voting behavior, education policy, and public opinion. Her research focuses on vote centers, voter confidence, election administration, teacher labor markets, and four-day school weeks. She also studies political representation and gender and racial equity in local government

Dr. Manion earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from Saint Louis University. She has published research in leading journals, including Election Law Journal, Public Opinion Quarterly, American Politics Research, and Politics, Groups, and Identities. Her recent work has examined perceptions of political bias in public education, voter fraud perceptions, vote center implementation, and representation on municipal boards and commissions. She has also contributed public scholarship to outlets including Brookings and the London School of Economics U.S. Politics and Policy Blog.

In addition to her academic scholarship, Dr. Manion is an experienced media commentator who regularly translates complex political and election issues for public audiences. She has made more than 130 appearances as a political analyst for NBC affiliate KSDK News in St. Louis and has been interviewed by outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, Newsweek, Bloomberg News, St. Louis Public Radio, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Her research has been funded by organizations including the Election Trust Initiative, Pew Charitable Trust, and MIT Election Data and Science Lab. Dr. Manion is also a contributor to the Cooperative Election Study and collaborates with election officials and researchers nationwide on improving election administration and voter confidence.

Sub-specialties:
I specialize in election administration, particularly in-person voting and vote centers. I also study perceptions of voter fraud and trust in elections. Regarding education policy, my research focuses on four-day school weeks, teacher labor markets, and perceptions of political bias in public education. I also study gender and racial parity in local government, specifically civic boards and commissions, and campaign finance.