Trump cites India's election system in push for U.S. voter ID law
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Donald Trump is urging the passage of the SAVE America Act, citing India's election system as a model.
- He highlighted India's extensive voter identification requirements and low mail-in voting rate during its last general election.
- The proposed US legislation aims to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections and requires photo ID and proof of citizenship.
U.S. President Donald Trump is renewing his push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, drawing parallels with India's electoral system. Trump specifically referenced remarks by India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who reportedly questioned the U.S. lack of mandatory photo ID for voters.
How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?
Trump pointed to India's massive general election, which saw 646 million voters, noting that less than 1 percent voted by mail. He emphasized that every Indian voter required a valid photo identity document. "We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!" Trump declared on Truth Social, advocating for stricter voter identification measures in the United States.
India's last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than 1 per cent voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document.
The White House describes the SAVE America Act as a "common sense, bipartisan bill" aimed at ensuring that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections. The legislation proposes requiring voters to present valid identification and proof of citizenship before registering. It also seeks to restrict mail-in ballots to specific cases like illness, military service, or travel, and directs states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!
Administration officials have contrasted U.S. election procedures with those in other countries, suggesting the U.S. lags in enforcing basic election protections. They noted that India and Brazil link voter ID to biometric databases, while the U.S. largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship. The bill was first introduced on January 29.
American citizens -- and only American citizens -- should decide American elections.
Originally published by Times of Oman in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.