Donald Trump cites India’s voter ID system: Highlights from executive order to overhaul US election process | World News

US President Donald Trump Tuesday signed an executive order to remodel elections in the US, introducing changes in the voting rules and regulations. These include furnishing documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote, barring non-citizens from making monetary contributions in the polls, among others.
Trump also cited election practices in countries like India and Brazil, where voter identification is linked to biometric databases, in contrast with America’s “patchwork” methods.
Highlights from the election overhaul order
Voters are required to present documentary proof of citizenship when regering for federal elections. This signals that Trump is not waiting for congressional Republicans to pass their long-anticipated Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, which similarly aims to ensure that only US citizens vote in federal elections.
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  Calling for more uniformity, protection, and enforcement, the executive order, said: “India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.”
The states should hand over their voter ls and records of their maintenance to the federal agencies like Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Government Efficiency for review. These agencies will share data with state election officials to help identify noncitizens on voter rolls. The US Attorney General will prioritise the enforcement of federal election integrity laws, particularly in states that refuse to share information on suspected election crimes.
Votes are to be “cast and received” Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long as they are postmarked on or before that date, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, this will not be allowed anymore. States failing to comply with the norm may potentially lose out on federal funding.
In a crackdown on contributions from the overseas, and their influence in the US elections, the order states that foreign nationals will be barred from making donations towards the polls. This has been an issue brewing in recent years in the states as Republicans aim at dampening the influence of Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.Story continues below this ad
The ballots cannot rely on barcodes or QR codes to be counted. The executive order also instructs the Election Assance Commission to “take appropriate action to review and, if appropriate, re-certify voting systems” under the new standards within six months of the order.
— with inputs from agencies
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