Trump fires final Election Assistance Commission members, sparking midterm 'chaos' fears

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Thursday, July 9, dismissed the remaining commissioners of the bipartisan US Election Assistance Commission (EAC), leaving the federal agency without leadership just months before the 2026 midterm elections.

The independent commission supports election administration, certifies voting systems, and maintains the national mail voter registration form. The dismissals come as the Trump administration continues pursuing election-related changes, including voter ID legislation and broader reforms that have faced legal challenges in federal courts.

Trump leaves Election Assistance Commission without leadership before midterms

The White House notified Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Ben Hovland that their appointments had been terminated, while Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick also departed the agency. Republican commissioner Donald Palmer had resigned earlier this year, leaving the four-member commission vacant.

The White House informed commissioners in an email, "on behalf of President Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service."

Created under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the EAC serves as a national resource for election administration, certifies voting equipment, accredits testing laboratories, and oversees the federal mail voter registration form established under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the dismissals "irresponsible and dangerous," saying they would create "chaos" for election officials and undermine nonpartisan election administration.

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State also condemned the decision, with chair and Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar calling it "incredibly irresponsible." Aguilar said the agency plays a critical role in supporting state and local election officials and warned the dismissals would place additional burdens on election administrators.

Trump's Election Assistance Commission dismissals follow election rule push

The removals come after Trump sought to use the EAC to implement several election-related priorities, including adding documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal voter registration form and revising voting system certification standards through an executive order issued last year.

Multiple federal courts blocked key portions of that order, ruling that the president could not unilaterally direct the commission to change federal voter registration requirements.

Voting rights advocates argued the dismissals reflected broader efforts to reshape election administration after congressional Republicans were unable to pass the SAVE Act.

The Brennan Center for Justice said the agency's structure requires bipartisan participation, noting that Congress intentionally designed the commission so no more than two members could belong to the same political party and major actions require approval from at least three commissioners.

Without confirmed bipartisan replacements, legal experts say questions remain over what responsibilities the commission can continue carrying out before the midterm elections. Some election law scholars have also questioned whether recent Supreme Court rulings expanding presidential removal powers extend to bipartisan election agencies created by Congress.