Trump cites India as example in executive order on overhauling American election system

New York: President Donald Trump has cited India and Brazil in his executive order to overhaul the American election system, saying the two countries are linking voter identification to a biometric database while the US relies on self-attestation for citizenship.

The sweeping executive order, signed by Trump on Tuesday, states that "despite pioneering self-government, the US now “fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections used by both developed and developing nations." "India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship," according to the order.

"In tabulating votes, Germany and Canada require the use of paper ballots, counted in public by local officials, which substantially reduces the number of disputes as compared to the American patchwork of voting methods that can lead to basic chain-of-custody problems," it said.

"Further, while countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of the date of postmark, many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day," it said.

In India, the Election Commission is exploring linking voter cards with Aadhaar, which includes a biometric database. On March 18, the EC said technical consultations between its experts and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for the exercise would "begin soon".

The poll authority said that while voting rights could only be granted to a citizen of India, according to Article 326 of the Constitution, Aadhaar establishes a person's identity and not citizenship or right to get enrolled as a voter.

The President also called for "free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion." "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," it said.

President Trump has repeatedly questioned certain voting methods since he lost the 2020 US Presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

He has for years spread unproven claims about widespread voter fraud involving noncitizens and mail-in ballots. He has repeatedly described his 2020 election defeat as “rigged,” pointing to expanded mail-in balloting that was allowed during the coronavirus pandemic, the Hill reported.