‘How can you have elections without valid photo ID?’: Trump cites India, pushes SAVE America Act

US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his call for stricter electoral laws in the United States while praising India's election system and voter identification requirements.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump recalled Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar questioning the lack of voter identification requirements in US elections.

“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 said.

He further said, “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.”

Trump renewed his call for the passage of the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which would require individuals to provide documentary proof of US citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

“We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now,” he asserted.

Although Trump has been campaigning for the legislation, Democrats and Republicans remain divided over the issue. The US Senate adjourned for a five-week recess earlier this month without taking concrete steps toward its passage.

The bill would prohibit states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless the person provides documentary proof of US citizenship. It would also require states to establish an alternative process through which an applicant could submit other evidence to demonstrate their citizenship.

The White House website notes that both India and Brazil have linked voter identification to biometric databases, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation of citizenship.

It also notes that Germany and Canada require paper ballots for vote tabulation, while the US lacks what the White House describes as basic chain-of-custody protections.