Trump Praises India’s Election System, Says 646 Million Voters Had Photo IDs; Wants Similar Rules in US

Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again advocated strengthening the election process in America, citing the example of India's election system. Referring to the mandatory requirement of photo identity card for voters in India, Trump said that such a system should be implemented in America also. He reiterated the call to pass the SAVE America Act to change election rules.

Why did Trump give the example of India's election system?

Trump referred to India's election process through a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He claimed that in a big democracy like India, valid photo ID is necessary to ensure the identity of voters.

Trump also mentioned India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to him, Kumar had recently questioned the US administration as to how elections are conducted in America without a valid photo identity card.

How many people voted in India?

While sharing the data of India's last Lok Sabha election, Trump said that about 64.6 crore people had voted. He claimed that less than one percent of these voters voted through post and a valid photo identity document was required for every voter.

Trump described this system in India as an important example for improving the American election system.

What is the SAVE America Act?

Trump has appealed to the US Congress to pass the SAVE America Act soon. This proposed legislation focuses on strengthening citizenship and identification documentation requirements during voter registration in federal elections.

Trump has long sought to tighten the rules related to voter identification and citizenship verification in US elections.

Has Trump given the example of India before?

This is not the first time that Trump has compared the American election system with India. He also mentioned the electoral systems of India and Brazil in an executive order issued in March 2025.

At that time, Trump had described the rules related to voter identification in both the countries as stronger than those in America. He had stressed the need for changes in the US election process regarding identity and citizenship verification.

Why is the issue of election reform a hot topic in America?

There has been a long-running political debate in America regarding voter identification, citizenship verification and the electoral process. Trump and his supporters tout the stricter ID rules as a step toward increasing the credibility of elections, while the opposition argues that additional documentation requirements could make voting difficult for some eligible voters.

Trump's latest statement has come amidst this broader debate, in which he has presented India's election system as an example for American election reform.