Donald Trump, the US president, points to India’s huge election system and urges Congress to pass the SAVE America Act for stricter voter ID and citizenship rules.
Trump has renewed his push for more stringent election rules with a focus on India’s voter identification system and the size of the country’s general elections.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Congress must pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to mandate voter registration and identification requirements for United States federal elections.
Trump points to India’s Voter ID System
Trump was referring to comments made by India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding voter identification in the United States.
He questioned how elections could take place without voters having to show photo identification.
To underscore India’s extensive election system, Trump said that the country’s last general election involved some 646 million voters. He said less than one percent of voters used mail-in ballots and that every voter was required to have a valid photo identity document.
Trump also used India’s election system as an example and called for stronger voter verification rules in the US.
What is the SAVE America Act?
The proposed SAVE America Act would guarantee that only US citizens can register and vote in federal elections.
According to the White House, such legislation would require people registering to vote in federal elections to provide valid identification and proof of US citizenship.
The proposal also includes such measures as banning non-citizens from being added to voter registries.
The White House called it a common sense bill to protect the integrity of American elections.
Stricter Rules for Mail-In Voting
Another major part of the proposed legislation involves restrictions on mail-in ballots.
Under the proposal, mail-in voting would be limited to specific situations, including:
- Illness
- Disability
- Military service
- Travel-related circumstances
The proposed Act would also direct states to review voter rolls and remove individuals who are not eligible to vote.
Trump Rekindles Election Reform Push.
Trump has repeatedly called for stronger voter identification laws and stricter election procedures in the United States.
His remarks have once again reignited the debate over voter ID, proof of citizenship and mail-in voting.
By citing India’s large-scale election system, Trump argued that stricter voter verification can be implemented even in elections involving hundreds of millions of voters.
Now Trump’s proposed changes to the US election rules are making the SAVE America Act very much a political hot button.