US President Donald Trump has invoked India’s electoral system while pressing Congress to approve legislation requiring proof of citizenship and photo identification for federal elections…reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump has cited India’s electoral system as an example while renewing his call for stricter voter identification requirements in American elections and urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.
Trump referred to a question he said India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had recently raised with his administration over the absence of a nationwide photo identification requirement for US elections.
“Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the U.S. without a valid Photo ID?” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump pointed to the scale of India’s elections and its voter identification requirements as he made the case for changes to federal election procedures in the United States.
“India’s last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than 1% voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document. We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!” he said.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also backed Trump’s call, writing on X: “President Donald J. Trump is absolutely correct! 646 MILLION voters, every single one required an ID in India’s last election. Congress should pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!”
The revised legislation was passed by the Republican-led House in February by 218-213, with one Democrat joining Republicans. An earlier version, known as the SAVE Act, had passed the House in April but later stalled in the Senate.
The legislation would require people seeking to register to vote in federal elections to provide documentary proof of US citizenship. It would also require voters to present valid photo identification at polling stations.
Under the proposed requirements, acceptable documents proving citizenship would include a US passport, certain government-issued identification cards, a birth certificate or a military identification card accompanied by a service record showing a US birthplace.
The Bill would also direct states to identify and remove non-citizens from voter rolls. It proposes drawing information from state agencies, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to help verify voter eligibility.
Trump has separately called for tighter restrictions on mail-in voting. He has said voting by mail should generally be limited to cases involving illness, disability, military service or travel.
Republicans have argued that the legislation is necessary to strengthen election security and ensure that only US citizens participate in federal elections.
Non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections, while election experts have said instances of non-citizens voting are rare. Democrats, however, have raised concerns that the proposed requirements could prevent some eligible citizens from voting, particularly low-income Americans and others who may face difficulties obtaining government-issued identification or citizenship documents.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has said the legislation would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.
Trump’s latest comments place India’s voter identification system at the centre of his renewed campaign for changes to US election rules. His remarks come as Republicans continue to push the SAVE America Act while Democrats oppose provisions they say could create additional barriers for eligible voters.
The legislation would need Senate approval before it could advance further, with its prospects dependent on the political divisions surrounding voter registration, identification requirements and election administration in the United States.
