Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, leaving the bipartisan federal agency entirely unstaffed just four months before the midterm elections.
The sudden dismissals hit the bipartisan federal agency with unexpected force. Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin W. Hovland received brief termination emails sent by White House aide Morgan DeWitt Snow, while Republican commissioner Christy McCormick received a telephone call asking for her resignation, according to individuals familiar with the decisions.
The Election Assistance Commission serves as a critical clearinghouse and grant distributor for state and local administrators. Between 2018 and 2025, the agency distributed more than $1 billion in grants for election security, as tracked by the Bipartisan Policy Center. With every commissioner now gone, the agency faces an immediate leadership vacuum just as state offices prepare for the midterm contests.
White House Terminates Commissioners by Email and Phone
The terminations unfolded rapidly on Thursday afternoon. Hovland learned of his dismissal while returning from a work trip to a Missouri election office, receiving the news in the middle seat of a commercial flight.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I’m writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
Morgan DeWitt Snow, White House aide, via NBC News
A White House official confirmed the clear-out to reporters, stating plainly, They will be replaced
. Presidential appointments to the commission require Senate confirmation, a procedure that rarely moves quickly and leaves the agency effectively stalled.
The commission normally operates with a balanced roster of two Republicans and two Democrats. However, it had already been reduced to three members following the earlier resignation of Republican commissioner Don Palmer.
State Officials and Policy Experts Warn of Midterm Chaos
The abrupt ouster drew sharp condemnation from state election officials and policy specialists, who warned that stripping the federal oversight body of its Senate-confirmed leadership creates severe administrative risks during an active election cycle.
Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, issued a strong rebuke of the White House’s actions.
“It’s irresponsible and dangerous that this administration remains dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across this country. This undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration.”
Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, via NBC News
An anonymous source familiar with the administration’s actions described the move in stark terms, telling reporters that it’s purely political and will throw the country into chaos to leave the commission empty four months before voting begins.
Hovland echoed those concerns, explaining that local administrators rely heavily on federal guidance to navigate tight resource constraints. Without commissioners to adapt policies and coordinate across jurisdictions, the system faces compounding pressures.
“When you’re asking more and more of people without giving them the necessary resources, you know, mistakes happen. And so there’s this real risk of like self-fulfilling prophecies in that way. It feels much more like a death-of-1,000-cuts situation than there’s one particular thing that you’re concerned about.”
Benjamin W. Hovland, former EAC commissioner, via NBC News
Historical Parallels and What Lies Ahead for Local Administration
While the sudden vacancies leave the agency pretty well hamstrung
, according to Matthew Weil, a vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center and former EAC staffer, the commission has weathered prolonged leadership absences before. Weil noted that the panel operated without any commissioners for three years starting in December 2011. During that prior drought, the agency eventually adapted by empowering staff members to handle routine administrative duties, such as certifying election equipment.
Even so, Weil emphasized that career staff cannot fully replace Senate-confirmed commissioners when rapid policy adjustments and inter-agency coordination are required. As the agency navigates this latest disruption, Hovland encouraged everyday citizens to step forward and support the upcoming elections.
“So much of what the agency was created to do was help election officials, but there’s a lot that Americans can do along those lines too, and that’s serving as a poll worker. I think they’ll hopefully get a glimpse of the privilege that I’ve had to see across the country.”
Benjamin W. Hovland, former EAC commissioner, via NBC News
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