Rallings’ first degree was in Politics and Modern History from the University of Manchester.
He joined the then Plymouth Polytechnic in 1976, being appointed Professor of Politics in 1997.
He is a member of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) panel of assessors for Politics and International Relations, and of the Council's Research Resources Board.
[1] With his colleague Michael Thrasher, Rallings has written extensively on electoral systems, results and British politics.
Rallings has also appeared on ITN's ITV News election coverage on numerous occasions since the start of the 21st century.