US President Donald Trump has pointed to India as an example of how voter identification can strengthen elections, as he pushes for stricter voter-ID requirements in the United States. Trump said every Indian voter has valid photo identification and cited his interaction with India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, in support of his argument for the proposed SAVE America Act.
But Trump's praise has revived a more complicated question: how clean and credible are elections in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
India does use voter identification
India has a large and sophisticated electoral system overseen by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Voters are required to establish their identity at polling stations, and the country's electronic voting machines are paired with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems. The ECI says the machines and election procedures have technical and administrative safeguards designed to protect the integrity of the vote.
However, having voter ID does not by itself guarantee that an election is free from political manipulation. One of the biggest recent controversies has concerned who is allowed to remain on the electoral register.
Controversy over voter-list revisions
In 2026, India's Election Commission carried out major revisions of electoral rolls in West Bengal, removing millions of names as part of an effort to identify duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible voters.
The exercise became politically explosive because critics alleged that Muslims were disproportionately affected. Reports said about nine million voters were removed from the rolls, with a large share coming from the Muslim community. The BJP and the Election Commission rejected accusations that the process was politically targeted.
The controversy illustrates an important distinction: election integrity is not only about whether votes are counted correctly. It is also about whether eligible citizens can register, remain on the voter list and actually cast their ballots.
Opposition parties have raised broader concerns
India's opposition, particularly the Congress party, has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of failing to act impartially. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, for example, has alleged that voters were deleted from electoral rolls in ways that benefited the ruling BJP. He has also raised allegations involving the use of fake logins and phone numbers in connection with voter deletions. These remain political allegations rather than established findings of electoral fraud.
The government and BJP strongly reject accusations that India's elections are being manipulated. Indian officials argue that the Election Commission is constitutionally independent and that opposition parties themselves continue to win elections, including state elections, demonstrating that the electoral system is not controlled by the ruling party.
What about electronic voting machines?
Electronic voting machines have also been at the centre of India's election debate. Critics have questioned whether EVMs can be fully trusted, while the Election Commission strongly defends them.
The ECI says India's EVMs are subjected to checks, randomisation and security procedures, while VVPAT allows voters to see a printed slip showing the candidate and party symbol they selected. It also says political-party representatives are involved at various stages of the process.
So far, there has not been publicly established evidence demonstrating that India's national election results were systematically altered through EVM manipulation. That is different from saying that every aspect of India's electoral system is free from controversy.
So, are elections under Modi clean?
The answer is more complicated than either "yes" or "no."
India continues to hold large-scale competitive elections in which opposition parties can and do win. The Election Commission has extensive procedures for voter verification, ballot security and vote counting.
At the same time, concerns about electoral-roll revisions, voter exclusions, the independence of electoral institutions and the broader political environment under Modi are genuine subjects of debate. The 2026 West Bengal voter-list controversy has particularly intensified questions about whether efforts to remove ineligible voters could also exclude legitimate voters.
Therefore, Trump's use of India as a simple model for American election security leaves out an important part of the story. Voter ID can help verify who is voting, but a genuinely credible election also requires an accurate voter register, equal access to voting, an impartial election authority, transparent procedures and effective avenues for challenging irregularities.
In short, there is no established evidence that Modi simply "rigs" India's elections, but there are significant and ongoing concerns about aspects of the electoral system and political environment that deserve scrutiny. Trump's praise focuses mainly on voter identification, while India's current controversy shows why voter ID is only one part of election integrity.