Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 25 aimed at “preserving and protecting the integrity of American elections”. The order introduces stricter voting regulations, requiring proof of citizenship for federal election registration and mandating that all ballots be received by Election Day.
Trump criticized the current US electoral system, drawing comparisons to India’s model and arguing that the United States has failed to implement “basic and necessary election protections.”
“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,” the executive order stated.
The order also highlighted election security measures in other countries.
“Germany and Canada require paper ballots when tabulating votes, while the United States has a patchwork of methods that often lack basic chain-of-custody protection,” it added.
Additionally, the directive calls on federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election-related crimes. It further warns that states failing to comply with these measures could face cuts in federal funding.
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Trump has long claimed that US elections are vulnerable to fraud, often making allegations even before results are announced. Since losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, he has repeatedly advocated for changes to voting procedures, despite no evidence of widespread fraud.
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