President Donald Trump has ordered the removal of all remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a federal independent agency responsible for supporting election administration nationwide, ahead of this year's midterm elections, sparking concerns about potential impacts on the independence of the U.S. election system.
President Donald Trump signed an order dismissing all remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), with the White House confirming the decision, which comes just months before the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November.
Reports indicate that the three remaining commissioners out of four were removed in different ways: the Republican-nominated commissioner resigned, while the two Democratic-nominated commissioners were notified of their removal via email from the White House personnel office. The fourth commissioner had resigned back in April, leaving the EAC without any active commissioners.
The email sent to the commissioners stated, "On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, we inform you that your position as a member of the Election Assistance Commission has ended effective immediately. Thank you for your past service."
The White House stated that as head of the executive branch, the president has the authority to remove officials who may not align with the critical mission of securing election integrity, ensuring only legally cast votes are counted. It cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling expanding presidential authority to remove independent agency officials as the basis for this action.
The Trump administration also noted ongoing collaboration with various agencies and local officials to prevent election fraud and abuse of power, as well as efforts to strengthen election infrastructure in preparation for the midterm elections.
The EAC was established by the U.S. Congress in 2002 under the Help America Vote Act, following the disputed 2000 presidential election recount in Florida. The agency supports election administration standards, certifies testing laboratories and voting systems, manages nationwide mail-in voter registration forms, and oversees federal election funding.
By law, the EAC has four commissioners evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The three commissioners removed—Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland, and Christy McCormick—were all previously confirmed unanimously by the Senate.
The dismissals come amid the Trump administration's push to change mail-in voting rules and efforts to require voters to prove U.S. citizenship during registration—measures largely blocked by courts. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly, without evidence, claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
The decision has faced strong criticism from Democrats and voting rights groups. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia called the mass dismissal unprecedented so close to midterms and demanded urgent explanation from the administration, warning it could raise serious concerns about political interference in an institution that supports election credibility.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who oversees elections in the state, described the removals as "irresponsible and dangerous," accusing the administration of creating turmoil among election officials nationwide.
Michael Waldman, CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, expressed deep concern, noting that Congress designed the EAC to have equal representation from both major parties to protect the neutrality of election administration.
Although the 2002 law allows the president to nominate new commissioners, it remains unclear when the Trump administration will appoint replacements. Since key EAC actions require approval by at least three of four commissioners, the current lack of a full board could disrupt agency operations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
,Reuters/ AFP