How India's Election System Influenced Trump's Call for Voter ID Laws

In light of Donald Trump's comments on voter identification, officials from India's Election Commission revealed that nearly 1 billion voters have received special Electoral Photo Identity Cards. This article explores how India's robust electoral system, which mandates photo IDs for voting, has influenced Trump's advocacy for similar laws in the United States. With less than 1% of Indian voters using postal ballots, the discussion raises questions about electoral integrity and the necessity of identification in voting processes.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 18, 2026, 20:47 IST

India's Electoral Identity Cards in Focus

New Delhi: Following remarks by former US President Donald Trump regarding India's voter identification system, officials from the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed that nearly 1 billion voters have received 'special' Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).

They emphasized that voting in India is contingent upon possessing a photo identity card.

The ECI has distributed these special EPICs to nearly all eligible voters, which total close to a billion.

Voters also have the option to download their electronic EPIC from a designated website.

Election rolls in India are meticulously compiled for each of the 1.2 million polling stations by booth-level officers (BLOs), who are state government employees, and these rolls are simultaneously audited by booth-level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties.

Polling stations are also subject to concurrent audits by polling agents designated by the candidates.

Vote counting is similarly monitored by counting agents chosen by the candidates, as stated by the officials.

Recently, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar questioned the US administration on how elections can be conducted without valid photo identification, a point echoed by Trump as he advocated for mandatory photo IDs to combat 'electoral fraud'.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump noted that less than 1% of voters in India utilized postal ballots during the last general elections, asserting that every voter possessed a valid photo identity document.

Trump's comments were aimed at garnering support for the SAVE America Act, which seeks to enforce proof of citizenship for voter registration, establish a nationwide voter ID requirement, and significantly restrict mail-in voting.

"Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration how elections in the US can occur without a valid Photo ID," Trump stated.

"India’s last election had 646 million voters! Less than one percent voted by mail, and every single voter had to present a VALID Photo Identity Document," he added.