The introduction of voter ID laws and the potential impact on Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller people

01 Jul 2021

In response to the government’s Elections Bill 2021, which would mandate the provision of photo ID at polling stations, many civil society groups have raised concerns about the impact of voter ID legislation on poor and minoritised voters. Given two million people in the UK do not possess photo ID (Cabinet office, 2021), voter ID laws pose a severe threat to free and fair elections, and specifically discriminate against poorer, minority ethnic voters including Gypsies, Roma and Irish Travellers.