The US president, Donald Trump, has made sweeping allegations of China's interference in the 2020 election and a 'deep state' cover-up in a primetime TV address to the nation.
In the 25-minute speech, Mr Trump claimed to have declassified intelligence revealing "shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure" and stated that China and other countries had been trying to meddle in US elections.
Critics have accused Mr Trump of trying to sow confusion and spread misinformation in the run-up to November's mid-term elections, which could see Republicans lose control of one or both houses of Congress.
A previous intelligence assessment found no evidence that foreign interference had impacted the outcome of the 2020 presidential race, which he lost to Joe Biden.
Mr Trump has long claimed the election was stolen from him, despite dozens of court cases finding no proof of widespread fraud.
In his speech, Mr Trump pushed for Congress to approve the stalled Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or Save America Act, which would require photo ID to vote and proof of US citizenship to register.
The legislation would also introduce new rules for people wanting a postal vote and has been met with both support and opposition, with some arguing it would improve electoral integrity and others warning it risks denying millions of eligible Americans the vote.
Given the tight timescale, some on Capitol Hill say there is no way to implement the bill in time for the mid-term elections.
Democrat senator Mark Warner has branded Mr Trump's claims about China as 'totally bogus' and stated that intelligence agencies unanimously agreed that China did not even try to change a single vote in the 2020 election.
