President Donald Trump has removed the three remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), leaving the bipartisan federal agency without leadership four months before the midterm elections. The administration’s move follows the recent Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, which expanded presidential authority to terminate the heads of independent agencies at will. With all four commissioner seats now vacant, the agency faces immediate uncertainty regarding its ability to certify voting systems, manage federal election grants, and maintain national voter registration standards.
The removals include Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, as well as Republican commissioner Christy McCormick, who resigned following the administration’s actions. These departures follow the April resignation of Republican commissioner Donald Palmer. A White House official stated that the president “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.” The administration cited the Trump v. Slaughter decision as the legal basis for the terminations, asserting that the ruling grants the executive branch broader control over independent entities previously shielded from direct political oversight.
The Role of the Election Assistance Commission
Established under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, the EAC functions as an independent, bipartisan clearinghouse for election administration. The agency is tasked with several critical infrastructure responsibilities, including the certification of voting equipment, the distribution of federal funds to state and local election offices, and the development of voluntary voting system guidelines. According to the commission’s governing statutes, the body is designed to operate with a degree of autonomy from the executive branch to ensure that election management remains insulated from partisan influence.
The commission’s structure is strictly bipartisan, requiring that no more than two of its four commissioners belong to the same political party. Furthermore, the agency requires a minimum of three commissioners to be present and in agreement to approve any official policy or action. With all four seats currently vacant, the EAC is effectively unable to conduct official business, creating a potential bottleneck for states preparing for the midterms. It remains unclear whether the White House intends to nominate new commissioners or how the agency will fulfill its statutory obligations in the interim.
Political Backlash and Legislative Concerns
The removal of the commissioners has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers and voting rights organizations, who argue that the action threatens the integrity of the upcoming electoral process. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) labeled the move a “brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast,” and vowed that Senate Democrats would challenge the administration’s actions. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) echoed these concerns, stating that the EAC was specifically designed by Congress to serve as an independent body to assist states in maintaining secure and credible elections.
In a joint statement, Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.)—ranking members of the congressional committees responsible for overseeing election policy—accused the administration of attempting to “dismantle yet another independent guardrail of our democracy.” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes also issued a public statement, describing the decision as “irresponsible and dangerous” and expressing concern about the potential for administrative chaos for local election officials across the country.
Institutional and Advocacy Responses
Public policy groups have also voiced alarm over the potential impact on election infrastructure. The League of Women Voters, through its CEO Celina Stewart, characterized the removals as a “direct attack on the independence of our nation’s election infrastructure,” noting that the timing leaves election officials without a key support system during a critical period. Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, highlighted the practical consequences of the leadership vacuum, noting that the agency is currently unable to carry out its primary responsibilities, including the distribution of essential election grants and the maintenance of voting system security standards.
The White House maintains that its actions are part of a broader effort to secure elections. The official statement provided to media outlets asserted that the administration is “working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse, and investing in a strong infrastructure to sustain that mission especially in the midterm elections.” The administration’s focus on stricter identification requirements and the regulation of mail-in voting continues to be a central pillar of its election policy platform, despite consistent findings from researchers that instances of widespread electoral fraud are statistically rare.
As of this week, no further administrative announcements regarding the future of the commission have been made. The next major checkpoint for election officials remains the upcoming midterm cycle, though the absence of a quorum at the EAC leaves the standard federal oversight and support mechanisms in a state of flux. Interested parties and election administrators are awaiting official guidance from the Department of Justice or the White House regarding the continuity of federal election support programs.