On March 25, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to overhaul the U.S. election system, drawing inspiration from India’s biometric voter ID model tied to its Aadhaar database. The order mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, requires ballots to be received by Election Day, and bans foreign contributions to U.S. elections. Trump cited India’s system as a way to enhance election integrity, contrasting it with the U.S.’s self-attestation approach, and also pointed to strict mail-in voting rules in countries like Denmark.
The move aims to ensure “free, fair, and honest elections” but has ignited debate. Critics, including Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, argue it exceeds presidential authority, given states’ constitutional control over elections, and plan legal challenges. Voting rights groups warn that millions lacking citizenship documents could be disenfranchised. While India’s system has curbed fraud, adapting it to the U.S.’s decentralized framework raises practical and legal questions as of March 26, 2025.
