Washington, Aug 19:
Making a strong case for stricter electoral laws in the US, President Donald Trump praised the Indian election system and recalled Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar questioning the lack of voter identification in American polls.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said over 646 million people participated in the recent general elections in India, and yet less than one per cent voted through postal ballots.
Trump said India’s chief election commissioner had spoken with officials from his administration earlier this month, and asked how US elections can be held without a valid photo identification card.
The US president made these remarks to drum up support for the SAVE America Act, which would require Americans to show proof of citizenship to register to vote, impose a nationwide voter identification requirement and severely limit voting by mail.
“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.
“India’s last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than one per cent 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 asserted.
Trump was referring to a meeting Kumar had with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on August 12, where the two countries agreed to work closely together to deepen collaboration on election management and the training of election staff.
“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,” Gor said in a post on X on Tuesday.
The Election Commission of India issues an Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or voter ID card to every voter to eliminate proxy or fraudulent voting.
The ECI also allows voting by postal ballots for disabled, elderly and government staff engaged in election duty.
Trump has been insisting on passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, claiming the move would curb electoral fraud.
However, both Democrats and Republicans are divided over the issue, and the US Senate adjourned for a five-week recess earlier this month without any concrete steps for its passing.
A fact-sheet on the SAVE America Act on the White House website also noted that India and Brazil have already linked voter identity cards to a biometric database, while the US relies on self-attestation by electors.
The SAVE America Act also seeks to permanently ban men from competing in women’s sports, and ban transgender mutilation surgery for children.
The Brennan Centre, a think-tank with offices here and in New York, said that more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to documents such as a passport or a birth certificate. Some states in the US offer vote-by-mail programs wherein ballot papers are sent by post to all registered voters in the state before Election Day.