Trump Cites India’s Voter ID System in Executive Order to Reform U.S. Elections

U.S. President Donald Trump has referred to India's voter ID system as a model for an executive order concerned with reforming the United States election process, a highly controversial subject in America today.  

Trump’s Call for Election Reforms  

Since the 2020 elections, Trump has constantly spoken of voters being unduly denied access to elections through dubious means. He declared in the executive order that India's electoral system, in which possessing a voter ID is a prerequisite for voting, serves to enforce integrity.  

"India, for over a billion people has a strong voter ID system. Every citizen is to show identification to vote, which speaks with transparency and security,"* he announced during the signing. He believed this could curtail acts of voter fraud in America and allow people to regain confidence in elections.  

India's Voter ID System: A Model for the U.S.?  

The Election Commission of India issues an EPIC, a unique **Voter ID**, to eligible citizens, and it is necessary to take part in elections. EVMs are also used in the country to expedite the procedure. Trump cited this model, arguing that a uniform voter's ID in America could protect the integrity of elections and lessens disputes.  

Nevertheless, the two democracies' juxtaposition is rather involved. India mandates the voter ID, whereas the United States has decentralized elections, giving every state the power to determine voting laws. Some states in the United States require IDs to be shown at polling places, while others permit voting without identification. 

Critics & Opposition

Trump's proposal has been highly contested by the Democrats and civil rights organizations, who assert that stricter regulations for voter ID will lead to voter suppression among minority groups, low-income persons, and the elderly. Opponents argue that millions of Americans do not possess a government-issued ID and that the enactment of such a law would create obstacles to voting.  

Moving forward, legal experts explain that amending election laws at the federal level would face deeper constitutional troubles to the extent that states can regulate their election system.

As Trump presses on with his campaign for electoral reform in the 2024 elections, there shall now be widespread discussions on voter ID laws and election security in the U.S. On such laws, some Republican-led states have already passed harsher voter ID laws; however, a nationwide mandate is still a political question.