Charles L. Zelden, Ph.D., is a professor of History and Political Science (with a specialty in voting rights, election law, Civil Rights and judicial politics) at Nova Southeastern University, teaching courses in history, political science and legal studies. He has been a member of the NSU faculty since 1993 – from 2003-05 he served as the Chair for the history major, as well as the lead faculty member for the College’s Intro to American Government class.
He has provided local, state, national and international media outlets with objective insights and analysis regarding presidential candidates, local politicians, political races and the electoral process. He also speaks regularly on the electoral process to the South Florida community. A legal-Constitutional historian by training, Zelden has published several books including:
- Voting Rights on Trial (2002);
- Battle for the Black Ballot (2004);
- The Supreme Court and Elections (2009);
- Thurgood Marshall: Race, Rights, and the Struggle for a More Perfect Union (2013); and
- Bush v. Gore: Exposing the Growing Crisis in American Democracy (1st 2008, abridged ed. 2010, expanded and updated 3rd ed. July 2020).
He is also author of the forthcoming The American Judicial System: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, Spring 2021).
Zelden is well versed in providing an in-depth, nonpartisan look at the controversial politics and election results in Florida and the nation and is an expert in contested elections/recounts and the electoral and judicial process. He has extensive experience in working with media (print and broadcast) on election-related stories and is able to explain processes and procedures in concise and easy-to-understand ways.
