Michael J. Pomante II is a senior researcher at the States United Democracy Center and a research fellow at Claremont Graduate University. He is the co-creator of the Cost of Voting Index and the author or editor of several books, including 'Scandal and Corruption in Congress,' 'The Cost of Voting in the American States,' and volumes in the Historical Dictionary series on Barack Obama, Congress, and Donald Trump. His expertise focuses on elections, voting rights, and American democracy.