Trump seeks major overhaul of US election system, cites India as model

Washington: In a move aimed at transforming the US electoral system, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order introducing changes to the country's voting process.

The order introduces measures to verify voter citizenship, enforce Election Day deadlines, and prevent foreign interference. Specifically, voters will be required to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration forms. Additionally, only mail-in or absentee ballots received by Election Day will be counted. Furthermore, non-U.S. citizens will be barred from donating to certain elections.

Trump has criticised the US electoral system, pointing out that other countries, including India and Brazil, have implemented more secure measures to protect their elections. Trump argued that the US is failing to implement "basic and necessary election protections" that are already standard in both developed and developing nations. “India and Brazil are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship,” he noted.

He further criticised the US for its inconsistent approach to ballot processing, comparing it to countries like Germany and Canada, which require paper ballots for vote tabulation. "Germany and Canada require paper ballots when tabulating votes, while the United States has a patchwork of methods that often lack basic chain-of-custody protections," Trump said, highlighting the need for a more secure and uniform voting system.

Trump's executive order also emphasises the need for stricter mail-in voting regulations, citing countries like Denmark and Sweden as examples. In these nations, mail-in ballots are reserved for individuals who are unable to vote in person, and late-arriving ballots are not accepted, regardless of the postmark.

"Many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day," he added.

Trump's latest executive order is the latest step in his ongoing efforts to restore the integrity of US elections, which he claims were compromised in the 2020 presidential election. Trump has repeatedly emphasised the importance of election integrity, stating that "free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional republic."

“The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election,” said Trump.

(inputs from IANS)