Desk: A new debate has erupted in America regarding the investigation of voter lists. President Donald Trump's administration wants to verify the citizenship of people included in the voter list. Amidst this process, it is feared that the names of about 2 lakh Indian origin voters will be removed. If this happens, it may impact not only the voters of Indian origin but also American politics.
The biggest question is whether the investigation of voter list can become a problem for Trump's own Republican Party? In fact, American voters of Indian origin have traditionally been inclined towards the Democratic Party. In such a situation, if the names of a large number of eligible voters are removed, then the mathematics of electoral contest may change in many states. However, the figure of removal of 2 lakh names is a suspicion expressed in a report, it is yet to be confirmed.
The Trump administration argues that the voter list should contain only the names of eligible citizens. For this, a government database named SAVE in America can be used. This database helps government agencies verify information related to citizenship and immigration.
Many people of Indian origin in America vote after acquiring citizenship. If a citizen's information does not match government records, the database cannot verify his citizenship. In such a situation, he may have to provide additional documents to prove his citizenship.
This is the biggest concern about this system. A person may have become an American citizen years ago, but due to old information in government records, he may be considered a foreigner. Due to such a mistake his name may come under investigation. However, this does not mean that people of Indian origin are being specifically targeted.
Voters of Indian origin in America are in a position to influence the election results in many states. According to the report, about 65% of Indian American voters supported the Democratic Party in the 2024 presidential elections.
If the names of a large number of eligible voters are removed due to investigation, they may face difficulty in voting. Its effect may be more visible in those states where the contest between Republican and Democratic parties is very close.
In India, the Election Commission is examining the voter list under SIR i.e. Special Intensive Revision. Its purpose is to identify dead voters, people who have migrated, duplicate names and other ineligible entries. During this process a large number of names have been removed from the draft voter list. But this does not mean that all the people removed were foreign citizens.
America does not have a Central Election Commission like India. There the responsibility of elections mainly lies with the states. Therefore, the rules related to voter list verification and identification may also be different.
Midterm elections are to be held in America in November 2026. In these, elections will be held on all 435 seats of the House of Representatives and 35 seats of the Senate. The performance of the Republican Party in these elections will be important for Trump's future politics.