US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or SAVE America Act to ‘protect’ elections, recently praised the Indian election system. The President specifically cited India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s observations, while pointing out that 646 million people participated in the recent general elections in India, and yet less than 1% voted through postal ballots.
In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said that Mr. Kumar had spoken with officials from his administration earlier this month and asked how U.S. elections can be held without a valid photo identification card. “India’s last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than one per cent voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document.” “We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now,” he asserted.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, in an X post, has called for the passage of the Act as well. He also shared a picture of himself shaking hands with Gyanesh Kumar.
What is the SAVE America Act?
The Safeguarding America’s Voter Eligibility Act, or the ‘SAVE America Act’, is a federal bill proposed by the Republicans aimed at implementing stricter voter registration rules. It calls for mandating physical photo ID for people to participate in federal elections.
According to the White House website, the SAVE Act requires “A valid ID before registering to vote in a federal election, proof of citizenship, and no mail-in ballots (except for Illness, Disability, military, or Travel).
It adds that “Requirement for voter ID to vote should be something that NO Americanshould oppose. If you want to register to vote in the United States, you have to be a citizen in the United States.”
Will the SAVE Act be passed? Math explained
In order to become a law, the SAVE Act needs to pass through the House of Representatives and the Senate before going to the President.
It was passed by the House of Representatives on February 11, 2026, with a 218 to 213 majority since it required a simple majority. Republicans hold the majority in the House and thus it got passed with ease, albeit a razor-thin majority.
Trump says it is time to get rid of U.S. Senate’s filibuster custom
The Senate requires a simple majority of 51 votes to pass a bill, but a “filibuster”, or endless debate on a bill, is allowed and 60 votes are required to break that, in a procedure called the ‘cloture.’
Republicans hold 53 seats; Democrats and independents have 47. The gap of seven votes for the Republicans to implement ‘cloture’ is what makes the passing of the SAVE Act an uphill task.
Trump on SAVE America Act
Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for the passage of the SAVE Act to ‘protect’ elections in US. He has also pushed for US Senate to permanently remove the filibustering. Senior Democrats have voiced strong opposition to this.
In July, Mr. Trump had posted on Truth Social that “John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” However, the Senate did go on break in August 2026.
The White House website also mentions Brazil, India, Germany, Canada, Denmark, and Sweden as examples of a similar voting system.
However, an article in White House’s website suggests India ties voter I.D. to a biometric database, which is not true. India mandates Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or voter ID card to eliminate proxy or fraudulent voting. India allows postal ballots for disabled, elderly and government staff engaged in election duty. The country does periodical revision of electoral rolls and the State election commissions carry special drives to enroll new voters. The Election Commission of India also accepts voters registration online, however, voting cannot be done online.
Opposition to the SAVE America Act
Almost all Democrats and a small subset of Republicans oppose the SAVE Act, alleging that it acts as voter suppression and may be detrimental to America’s democracy.
Democratic lawmakers and voting rights organisations have pointed out that non-citizen voting is exceedingly rare in US and is already illegal under federal law. Concerns have also been raised that tying physical IDs to voting may adversely impact the electoral rights of married women whose names have changed, rural residents, students, and low-income voters who may lack access to documents like a passport or birth certificate.
What is the process of voter registration currently?
Registration for voting in federal elections in US currently follows standard nationwide rules. They are governed by the National Voter Registration Act, 1993(NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act(HAVA).
A voter can use the following steps to register:
Registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
NVRA’s ‘Motor Voter’ provision has an option to automatically renew voting registration while applying for renewing driving licenses.
By Mail
A prospective voter can fill out and mail the National Mail Voter Registration Form provided by the US Election Assistance Commission or use their state’s specific mail-in form.
Online
Most US states also offer direct online voter registration portals through their Secretary of State or elections division.
In Person
Registration can also be submitted in-person at local election offices, public libraries, and armed forces recruitment centres.
No physical proof needed
Applicants are required to check a box confirming that they are US citizens and sign the form under penalty of perjury.
No upfront physical proof such as passports or birth certificates are currently mandated. Only Arizona requires actual physical proof. Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, Kansas, Alabama, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming have some legislation regarding the same but implementation differs heavily.
People generally provide their driver’s license number, State ID card number or last four digits of their Social Security number on the voter form.
First-time voters who do not attach driving licenses must present a photo ID, utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck while submitting the application or when they vote for the first time in person.
Published – August 18, 2026 03:38 pm IST
