Comparing Voter ID Laws in the US and UK With Gretchen Coleman '22 on the ‘’Cuse Conversations’ Podcast

There Gretchen Coleman ’22 was, enjoying a private tour of the House of Lords, the second chamber of the United Kingdom (U.K.) Parliament, that was led by a peer, a member who was passionate about election reform.

The topic is near and dear to Coleman’s heart. As she was escorted through the House of Lords, Coleman found herself feeling a deep appreciation for the life-altering experiences afforded to her as a recipient of a Fulbright postgraduate award.

“I’m so grateful every day. Sometimes it’s hard to process that I’m actually here and have this amazing research opportunity,” says Coleman, who earned bachelor’s degrees in both political science and political philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

“This has allowed me to really focus on my research and focus on the things I’m passionate about, with the luxury of being able to think about my big research questions while traveling and exploring the U.K. That’s something I will never take for granted because it’s really so meaningful to me.”

Coleman, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in political science, democracy and elections at the University of Manchester, has researched voter ID laws in the U.S. Now, she’s shifting her focus to the U.K., which is about to hold the country’s first elections where voters are required to show ID when they vote. The reason behind the policy change is a growing mistrust in the election process, and the new laws closely follow those in the U.S.

Coleman’s research will analyze materials sent to voters informing them of the policy change to examine how well-informed voters were about the policy shift. Afterwards, Coleman’s findings will be used for a report on how the U.K. can improve its elections.

On this ’Cuse Conversation, Coleman discusses her research, compares voter ID laws in the U.S. with the U.K., reveals how she became interested in politics and elections, addresses the growing concern in the U.S. over voters not trusting election results, and shares how she wants to use this research to make election laws less discriminatory and more representative.

Check out episode 138 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Gretchen Coleman ’22. A transcript [PDF] is also available.