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United States President Donald Trump has pointed to India’s massive electoral system to strengthen his push for stricter voting regulations across the US, calling on Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. In a post on Truth Social, Trump referenced a recent diplomatic meeting with India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, questioning why multiple American jurisdictions still permit voting without mandatory government-issued photo identification.
Trump noted that during the exchange, the Indian election chief had asked how US elections could function without mandatory voter ID. Highlighting India’s recent general elections, the former president emphasized that over 646 million voters were required to present valid photo identity documents, with postal ballots accounting for less than one percent of the total turnout. Official figures from the Election Commission of India show that postal ballots made up roughly 0.66 percent of all votes cast in 2024. Trump used these numbers to argue that if the world’s largest democracy can successfully verify hundreds of millions of voters in person, the United States should establish comparable federal standards.
The remarks follow a bilateral meeting in New Delhi between newly appointed US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. During the briefing, Kumar outlined India’s election mechanics, including the use of the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC). Gor publicly endorsed Trump’s stance afterwards, urging Congress to enact the SAVE Act based on India’s ID model. When asked about the discussion, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declined to weigh in on domestic US debates, reiterating only that the credibility and efficiency of India’s election machinery are well recognized globally.
The proposed SAVE Act remains a focal point for the White House ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. If passed, the legislation would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to mandate documentary proof of US citizenship—such as a passport or certified birth certificate—for federal voter registration. It also seeks to require photo IDs for in-person voting, tighten mail-in ballot rules, require states to remove non-citizens from voter lists using federal databases, and introduce penalties for officials who register ineligible voters.
However, constitutional scholars and election experts have noted substantial institutional differences between the two systems. India operates under a unified, centralized constitutional body—the Election Commission of India—which oversees voter rolls nationwide. Moreover, the Indian framework offers significant flexibility, permitting voters without an EPIC card to authenticate their identity using 12 alternative government-issued IDs, including driving licences, passports, PAN cards, or official identity documents.
In contrast, the United States runs a decentralized electoral model where individual states set their own voting rules, deadlines, and identification policies. Roughly 21 states enforce photo ID requirements, while others accept non-photo verification or conduct elections primarily by mail. Opponents of the SAVE Act, including civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, contend that non-citizen voting is already prohibited under federal law and argue that strict documentary citizenship mandates would disproportionately disenfranchise low-income voters, students, and citizens lacking easy access to physical birth records.
The legislation also faces significant legislative hurdles. While versions of the bill have passed the Republican-led House of Representatives, the measure has repeatedly stalled in the Senate, lacking the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster. As the midterms approach, Trump’s references to India’s voting infrastructure have added an international dimension to the broader American debate over voter access and election integrity.
