WASHINGTON, Aug 18: US President Donald Trump has invoked India’s electoral system while making a case for stricter voter identification and citizenship requirements in the United States.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised India’s election process and referred to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s reported remarks on the absence of mandatory photo identification in US elections.
Trump said more than 646 million people participated in India’s recent general election, with less than one per cent voting by mail. He highlighted India’s use of voter identity documents as an example in his argument for tighter election rules in the US.
“Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID,” Trump wrote.
He used the remarks to renew his call for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which would require proof of US citizenship for voter registration, establish nationwide voter identification requirements and place tighter restrictions on voting by mail.
“We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now,” Trump asserted.
Trump has repeatedly backed the legislation, arguing that stronger eligibility and identification requirements would help prevent electoral fraud. However, the bill faces opposition and divisions among lawmakers, and the US Senate went into a five-week recess earlier this month without advancing the measure.
A White House fact sheet on the legislation also cited India and Brazil as countries where voter identification systems are linked with biometric databases, contrasting them with the US system of voter self-attestation.
The proposed legislation also includes provisions concerning participation in women’s sports and medical procedures involving transgender minors.
