Why Trump lauded India's voting system in his US elections overhaul order

Donald Trump praises India's biometric voter ID system as the US moves to tighten election rules, mandating citizenship proof for voter registration

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order overhauling the US elections on Wednesday (IST). The voters in the US will now be mandated to show their citizenship proof documents to register to vote.

 

In his executive order, Trump cited examples of developed and developing countries alike, including India, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Lauding their efforts, he said, "Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing. India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship."

 

 

Biometric database linking in India

 

India's Aadhaar system, which includes a biometric database, was first launched in September 2010 when the first Aadhaar number was issued. This 12-digit unique identification number was set up to establish a verifiable identity and promote financial inclusion in the nation.

 

Linking of the Aadhaar card with the voter card began in 2015 after the Election Commission launched the National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP), intending to bring an authenticated and error-free electoral roll. Under this scheme, the Elector Photo Identification Card (EPIC) data of the voters was to be linked with the Aadhaar data or UIDAI for authentication.

 

However, it was later put on hold the same year after a Supreme Court order. In 2021, the government proposed to amend the laws, and the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill enabled the voluntary linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

 

How is it different from self-attestation for citizenship in the US?

 

According to the National Voter Registration Act, 1993 (NVRA), in the US, self-attestation for citizenship refers to a process where individuals declare their citizenship status under penalty of perjury.

 

A checkbox is included in the voter registration forms (both federal and state) that require the voters to confirm if they are US citizen. The applicants are then required to sign a statement that their declaration is true.

 

Although some states may request additional documentation if questions arise, there isn’t a centralised, biometric verification system in place for routine registration.

 

In India, this verification linking isn’t based on self-certification. Rather, it is a government-mandated process aimed at eliminating errors and preventing duplicate or fraudulent registrations by cross-referencing the voter data with the centralised Aadhaar database.