Washington [United States], March 26 (HBTV): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) signed an executive order aimed at overhauling federal elections to 'enforce basic and necessary election protections' used by both developed and developing nations.
Citing India and other countries as examples, Trump stated that voters in the US will now be required to provide proof of citizenship during federal elections, and the timeframe for states to receive mail-in ballots has been restricted.
According to the order, nations such as India and Brazil have linked voter identification to biometric databases to ensure accuracy, whereas the US predominantly relies on self-attestation of citizenship, raising concerns over verification.
The order further noted that in vote tabulation, Germany and Canada mandate paper ballots to be counted publicly by local officials, a process that minimises disputes. In contrast, the US employs a varied mix of voting systems, often leading to chain-of-custody issues.
Highlighting additional disparities, the order cited Denmark and Sweden as examples of countries that restrict mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and reject late-arriving ballots regardless of postmark. It contrasted this with the US, where widespread mail-in voting is accepted in many states, including ballots without postmarks or those arriving well after Election Day.
'India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship. In tabulating votes, Germany and Canada require 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,' the order stated.
'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 added.
As per the order, the Election Assistance Commission has been directed to update its national mail voter registration form within 30 days, requiring documentary proof of US citizenship—such as a passport, REAL ID-compliant identification, military ID, or other government-issued photo ID indicating citizenship—along with detailed documentation by state or local officials.
To identify unqualified voters, the Secretary of Homeland Security has been tasked with providing state and local officials with free access to citizenship verification systems, while the Secretary of State will share relevant database information.
Additionally, federal agencies under the National Voter Registration Act will be responsible for verifying citizenship before distributing voter registration forms to public assistance enrollees, the order stated. (ANI)