Trump cites India’s CEC to demand voter ID law in US

President Donald Trump has cited India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to renew his push for the SAVE America Act, a proposed law requiring proof of citizenship and photo identification for US voters. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Mr Kumar asked his administration: “How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?” Trump noted that India’s last general election saw 646 million voters, fewer than 1 per cent voting by mail, and every voter had a valid photo ID.

The SAVE America Act would mandate documentary proof of US citizenship for federal voter registration and require a photo ID to cast a ballot. It would also restrict mail-in voting to cases such as illness, military service, or travel. The White House compared US practices with India and Brazil, which tie voter ID to a biometric database, saying the US largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.

The bill has passed the US House of Representatives largely along party lines but faces strong opposition in the Senate. Democrats have called it “dead on arrival” and argue it would disenfranchise eligible voters who lack citizenship documents. An estimated 21 million Americans do not have ready proof of citizenship, according to the Brennan Center. The SAVE America Act needs 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster but currently lacks the support to advance.