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US President Donald Trump has urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, citing India’s election system while calling for stricter rules on voter identification and registration in the United States.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had asked his administration how elections could be conducted in the US without a valid photo ID.
Trump said the US now needs to pass the SAVE America Act, arguing that stricter election rules would improve the security and credibility of American elections.
What is the SAVE America Act?
The SAVE America Act is a proposed legislation aimed at tightening voter registration and voting requirements in the US.
Under the bill, voters would have to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering and show a photo ID while voting.
The legislation also proposes significant restrictions on voting by mail.
The bill has already passed the US House of Representatives but is still awaiting approval in the Senate. Trump has repeatedly pushed for its passage, claiming that it would help prevent electoral fraud.
Why is the bill controversial?
Voter ID requirements have been a longstanding political issue in the US, with Democrats and Republicans divided over the proposed changes.
Supporters argue that requiring photo identification and proof of citizenship would strengthen election security and prevent fraud.
Opponents, however, argue that voting by non-citizens is already illegal and that stricter documentation requirements could disproportionately affect eligible voters who do not possess documents such as birth certificates or valid passports.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, around 12% of registered US voters generally do not have commonly accepted documentary proof of citizenship.
How do other countries handle voter ID?
Election identification rules vary significantly across countries.
In the UK, voters are required to show photo ID at polling stations for some elections, while photo ID is not required for certain local elections in Scotland and Wales.
In Canada, voters must prove their identity and address, but they do not necessarily need a photo ID. They can either provide one accepted photo ID or present two other valid documents.
In some circumstances, voters without identification can also have another voter confirm their identity.
The debate over the SAVE America Act therefore reflects a broader question in the US over how to balance election security with access to voting.
