Trump leans on India’s election playbook in push to change how Americans vote

The US president pressed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require photo identification to vote

US President Donald Trump cited India’s election system as a model for the US, bringing the world’s largest democracy into a contentious American debate over voter access and election security.

Trump said the identification requirements make elections secure and pressed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and photo identification to vote. The measure has stalled in the Senate as Trump and his Republican allies push for tighter election rules ahead of the November 3 midterms.

In a social media post on Monday, Trump said that India’s chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had recently asked administration officials how the US could hold elections without requiring valid photo identification. He said more than 646 million people voted in India’s last general election, with less than 1 per cent casting ballots by mail and voters required to provide photo identification.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor separately posted a photo of himself shaking hands with Kumar and backed Trump’s call for the legislation.

The comparison makes India a reference point in Trump’s campaign to reshape how Americans vote.