President Donald Trump signs executive order to reshape US elections, mentions India
US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order that sought broad changes in the country's election process, which include mandating voters to show proof that they are American citizens.
The order bans foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections.
"The Election Assistance Commission will require documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms," the White House said in a statement.
The White House statement said: "Agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Social Security Administration and Department of State must provide states with access to Federal databases to verify eligibility and citizenship of individuals registering to vote."
As per the order, the Attorney General will prioritize prosecuting non-citizen voting and related crimes, including using DHS records and coordinating with state attorneys general.
"The Order improves the integrity of elections by directing the updating of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0 and security standards for voting equipment and prioritizing federal grant funds accordingly," the statement said.
"This includes requiring a voter-verifiable paper ballot record and not using ballots in which the counted vote is contained within a barcode or QR code," the statement said.
India Reference
The White House statement cited examples of countries like India and Brazil and said the United States lags behind other nations in enforcing basic and necessary election protections.
"India and Brazil tie voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship," the statement said.
"Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person—and late arrivals do not count—while American elections now feature mass voting by mail, even after Election Day," the White House statement said.
The White House said 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 protections.
The White House said that without proper enforcement of Federal laws, illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error dilute the votes of lawful American citizens.
Trump says he will secure election
Trump said his government will ensure that the US will witness 'free and fair elections'.
"We’re going to fix our elections so that our elections are going to be honorable and honest and people leave and they know their vote is counted," he said.
Donald Trump returned to power for a second term as the President after winning the high-voltage polls last year by beating his closest rival, Kamala Harris.
His inauguration took place on January 20.
"We’re going to fix our elections so that our elections are going to be honorable and honest and people leave and they know their vote is counted," Trump said.
"We go to paper ballots, same-day voting, proof of citizenship, very big, and voter ID, very simple," he said.
President Trump said, “We will secure our elections, and they will be secure once and for all.”
