US President Donald Trump has once again turned to India’s electoral system while pressing for stricter voter identification rules in the United States, this time citing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Trump renewed his call for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which seeks to make photo identification mandatory for voting and require documentary proof of citizenship when people register.
Trump points to India’s voter ID system
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump referred to an alleged conversation involving Kumar and his administration, while highlighting the scale of India’s elections and its voter identification requirements.
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"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? 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. We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
Trump’s remarks came a week after Kumar met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. The two officials agreed to work together to strengthen cooperation on election management and training for election staff.
Gor also backed Trump’s argument on Tuesday, 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!”
What is the SAVE America Act?
The legislation has become a major priority for the Trump administration. It would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering and a photo ID when casting their ballot.
The Bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year but has repeatedly failed to clear the Senate.
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Voter ID requirements remain a contentious issue in the US. Supporters say stricter rules would strengthen election security, while critics argue that existing laws already prohibit non-citizens from voting and that many eligible voters could struggle to produce the required documents.
Concerns over access to documents
The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that 12 per cent of registered US voters lack commonly accepted documents such as a birth certificate or valid passport.
The organisation has also raised concerns about the resources needed to verify such documents. It cited Kansas, where stricter voter ID rules prevented around 31,000 eligible citizens from registering to vote.