R. Michael Alvarez

New research! Recently Beatrice Magistro, Jacob Morrier, and I published this intriguing new study where we show that zero-sum thinking is a strong cross-partisan predictor of illiberal attitudes. Open-access in SSQ! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

🔍 AI Is Changing Political Campaigns, Even at the Local Level @caltechlcssp.bsky.social's @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @caltech.edu says AI is on the rise in local races, even school board elections. Why? ✅ Affordable ✅ Accessible ✅ Convincing 🔗 Learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnW...

New Research Alert! @debanks.bsky.social and I have been studying the dynamics of US elections for a few years. Here's our latest on persuadable voters, give it a read - timely as we are only two weeks out of Election Day here in the US! www.frontiersin.org/journals/pol...

Had a great time at this @mitelectionlab.bsky.social workshop! Showed some preliminary results from our voter database auditing project. Had a chance to learn a lot from the other list maintenance projects, exciting to see so much new work in this area of election science.

Misinformation outpaces fact-checkers, and AI makes deception cheap. This #RSOS study shows how the same #AI can inoculate against #misinformation: doi.org/10.1098/rsos... @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social @profsanderlinden.bsky.social

Great to be at the @carleton.edu Reunion! Seeing a lot of folks from the Class of 1986, some of my books on display in the Library, and a great time in the Arb!

🔊New journal article out by @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social and LCSSP Research Affiliate Beatrice Magistro, @northeasternu.bsky.social, "Causal Beliefs and the Potential for Political Backlash Against AI." 🔶Read it here: academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...

While it’s a little hot, a great #Caltech2026! Commencement is a great time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students.

📢 New blog from @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director, @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, LCSSP Postdoc, Rafal Kocielnik, & @caltech.edu Undergrad, Etienne Casanova: 🔸The Hidden Assumptions Behind AI Labels🔸 lcssp.caltech.edu/more/lcssp-b... 🔹LCSSP posts & archive: lcssp.caltech.edu/more/lcssp-b...

📺Watch the discussion between @caltechlcssp.bsky.social @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @caltech.edu and Bob Page, OC Registrar of Voters which centers around a new project funded by @mitelectionlab.bsky.social aimed at improving the accuracy and quality of voter registration data in Orange County!

🔶Bridging Science & Society: Caltech’s Michael Alvarez and Cambridge’s Ramit Debnath🔶 📺Watch the video as @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social sits with Ramit to discuss how they came to collaborate & form the Caltech-Cambridge Lab: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVgN...

🔶The Rhetoric of Governance: A Conversation between Caltech’s Michael Alvarez & Harvard’s Danny Ebanks🔶 Watch this video as Danny & @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social discuss their work in U.S. congressional voting behavior & political speech through computational lenses: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaYY...

📺 Watch the latest episode of #ElectionScienceOfficeHours with host @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @caltech.edu & guest Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation on the @caltechlcssp.bsky.social YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Oa...

📢New blog post from @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director, @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, Ransi Clark, and Alex Halsey, @caltech.edu: 🔸What Do Americans Know About Big Tech and AI Companies? lcssp.caltech.edu/more/lcssp-b... 🔹LCSSP posts & archive: lcssp.caltech.edu/more/lcssp-b...

Watch today's episode of #ElectionScienceOfficeHours - Modernizing California Elections: Insights from Marin County Registrar of Voters Natalie Adona with host @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @caltech.edu & guest Natalie Adona - on the @caltechlcssp.bsky.social's YouTube channel: youtu.be/pDyTGHM69_Y.

Great report on some fantastic work which I am proud to have been a part w/ @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @caltechlcssp.bsky.social & Betsy Sinclair @washupolisci.bsky.social. Read "Building Trust and Capacity to Protect U.S. Elections: Key Insights from the 2025 Election Integrity Conferences"!

Give it a read - and please subscribe!

Join us Wed., Feb 11 at 11am Pacific for the next episode of @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social at @caltech.edu's #ElectionScienceOfficeHours webinar and podcast series with guest Cameron Wimpy, Arkansas State University! Register today and join us next week: caltech.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

New paper published in the AJPS by @beamagistro.bsky.social, @sborwein.bsky.social, @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, @bartbonikowski.bsky.social, and Peter John Loewen. Paper available here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

"Appealing to Independents: information on negative externalities increases support for environmental corrective taxes" - New in late 2025 in @environmentalpol.bsky.social from @beamagistro.bsky.social & @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social @caltech.edu @caltechlcssp.bsky.social @northeasternu.bsky.social

Read my latest on Substack! open.substack.com/pub/election...

Great convo earlier today with @christiangrose.bsky.social about yesterday’s elections. Watch if you want to learn more about what happened and what it all means! youtube.com/watch?v=-EC_...

Was thrilled to be with our @caltech.edu men’s hoops team last night. And yes, that is me on ESPN+!!

When we are poll watching, a lot of what we look for is simple: - is the vote center easy to find? - how accessible is the vote center? - is there ample and accessible parking? - are all required postings in obvious locations? - is the vote center fully operational? There is a method to it all!

There's been a lot of discussion about federal election monitors in the Nov 4th election here in CA. Here's my take, on my Election Science Field Notes Substack. electionscience.substack.com/p/does-calif...

Been out in the field with election monitoring, and learned some important lessons about how election officials can build resilient elections. It's on my Election Science Field Notes, on Substack! @caltechlcssp.bsky.social electionscience.substack.com/p/resilient-...

Here is the latest edition of @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social's #ElectionScienceFieldNotes Substack: "Does #California Need Federal #Election Monitors?" #CaltechElectionIntegrity | @caltech.edu electionscience.substack.com/p/does-calif...

Next on @caltechlcssp.bsky.social's #ElectionScienceOfficeHours w/ host @caltech.edu's @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social 🟧 THE VOTES ARE IN 🟧 A Post- #ElectionDay Convo w/ USC's @christiangrose.bsky.social to Discuss the Results' Implications 11/5/25 | 11am P REGISTER: caltech.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Resilient Elections: Good Training & good process yield good results-The latest #ElectionScienceFieldNotes Substack by @caltechlcssp.bsky.social / @caltech.edu's @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social. electionscience.substack.com/p/resilient-elections Subscribe today!

Looking forward to this important and timely conversation with @jnkatz.bsky.social about partisan gerrymandering. Join us next week!!

Here's the latest #ElectionScienceFieldNotes Substack article from @caltechlcssp.bsky.social co-director and @caltech.edu Professor @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social: How Election Rumors Spread open.substack.com/pub/election...

Flintridge Foundation Professor of Political and Computational Social Science, @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, lends his expertise in a collaborative piece discussing the potential effects of AI in foreign affairs.

If you missed yesterday's great session of @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social's #ElectionScienceOfficeHours webinar-part of the #CaltechElectionIntegrity project-featuring @voting.works' @benadida.com, listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4hFe...

This week's Election Science Office Hours! @benadida.com will join me to talk about election technology, voting system security, and cryptography in elections! I'll be a great conversation, join us live at 11am Pacific on Wednesday!

And here is the 9/16 episode of #ElectionScienceOfficeHours with @microsoft.com's Matt Masterson, hosted by @caltech.edu's @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social as a Spotify podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/0XBF...

Have you been working on a methods project this summer? If you are thinking about publishing your project, consider our CUP Elements method series! www.cambridge.org/core/publica...

Listen!

Watch!

🗳🔬Election Science Field Notes🔬🗳 New on #Substack from @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Co-Director @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social. See the link below, read Professor Alvarez's first entry, and subscribe to receive each new entry in your in-box. #ElectionScienceFieldNotes #DataNotDrama @caltech.edu

Election Science Office Hours returns! On Sept 3 at 11am Pacific I'll talk with UCLA's Natalie Masuoka about how the new CA congressional district maps will affect Asian American political representation. Register using the link below: www.protectingtheelection.us/blog-3-1/a-c...

I've started a Substack, "Election Science Field Notes." Please give it a read, and subscribe! Let me know if there are topics and issues you'd like for me to write about! Why Election Science Field Notes? open.substack.com/pub/election...

And here is the video! With the amazing @justinlevitt.bsky.social, on the great redistricting controversy. youtu.be/8KRTLt3IAwM?...

It’s hard to compete with Taylor Swift, but we dropped a podcast today as well!! open.spotify.com/episode/7qH4...

New Election Science Office Hours podcast drop! My recent conversation with NM SoS Maggie Toulouse Oliver is now available where you listen to your podcasts! @caltechlcssp.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/5fv6...

Exciting new Election Science Office Hours this Wednesday at 11am Pacific, with New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver! Join us live, use the link below to register. We'll talk about her career in elections and modernizing voter registration in NM! caltech.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

New research by @beamagistro.bsky.social and colleagues suggests that increasing public awareness of solar geoengineering could foster bipartisan engagement with climate policy in the US journals.plos.org/climate/arti... @rd545.bsky.social @paulowennberg.bsky.social @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social