Story Highlights
- President Donald Trump removed the remaining Democratic members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
- Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick resigned after the White House requested her departure.
- The commission now has no sitting commissioners months before the 2026 midterm elections.
- The White House cited Trump’s authority to replace officials who are not aligned with his election-security agenda.
What Happened
President Donald Trump removed the remaining leadership of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, leaving the bipartisan federal agency without any sitting commissioners ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic Commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland received emails informing them that their positions had been terminated immediately.
Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick resigned after receiving a request from the White House to step down. Republican Commissioner Donald Palmer had already left the agency in April.
- Hicks was serving as the commission’s chairman.
- McCormick had been serving as vice chairwoman.
- All three had previously received Senate confirmation.
- The four-member commission is now entirely vacant.
The Election Assistance Commission was created by Congress under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 following disputes surrounding the 2000 presidential election.
It supports state and local election officials, develops voluntary voting-system standards, certifies voting equipment, administers federal election grants, and maintains the national mail voter-registration form.
A White House official defended the changes, saying the president has the authority to remove officials who are not fully aligned with his efforts to secure American elections.
The administration is expected to nominate replacements, who would require Senate confirmation before taking their positions.
Why It Matters
Trump has made election integrity a major priority of his second administration, calling for stronger voter-identification rules, proof-of-citizenship requirements, more accurate voter rolls, and greater accountability within federal election institutions.
Supporters of the removals argue that presidents should be able to replace executive officials who resist their policy agenda, particularly after voters elected Trump on a platform promising sweeping changes to election administration.
They also note that the Election Assistance Commission does not directly run elections. State and local governments retain primary responsibility for registering voters, operating polling places, counting ballots, and certifying results.
- The removals do not cancel or postpone the midterm elections.
- States remain responsible for administering elections.
- Existing EAC employees can continue many routine operations.
- Major policy changes and formal commission votes may be delayed.
Without commissioners, however, the agency cannot easily approve new policies, update certain national standards, or take actions that legally require a quorum.
That could affect the certification of newly developed voting systems and any proposed changes to the federal voter-registration form.
The practical consequences will depend largely on how quickly Trump nominates replacements and how rapidly the Senate considers them.
Political and Public Context
The changes followed the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter, which significantly expanded presidential authority to remove members of independent executive agencies.
The Court ruled that officials exercising executive power must generally remain accountable to the elected president, overturning a longstanding precedent that had limited removal authority over certain independent commissioners.
The White House relied on that decision when defending Trump’s authority to restructure the Election Assistance Commission.
- The Supreme Court strengthened presidential control over executive agencies.
- The ruling did not specifically decide a case involving the Election Assistance Commission.
- Legal challenges to the removals remain possible.
- Any replacement commissioners must preserve the agency’s statutory bipartisan structure.
Democratic lawmakers accused Trump of attempting to politicize election oversight before voters decide control of Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer characterized the removals as an attempt to seize greater control over election institutions, while Senator Mark Warner warned that the timing could weaken confidence in the midterms.
Trump’s supporters reject that characterization, arguing that replacing commissioners does not give the White House control over ballots or state election results.
They describe the move as part of a broader effort to ensure that federal election officials support stronger security standards rather than preserving policies established under previous administrations.
What Happens Next
The White House is expected to submit nominees for the vacant commission positions, although it has not announced a timetable.
Federal law requires the commission to contain four members, with no more than two belonging to the same political party. Congressional party leaders traditionally recommend candidates before the president formally nominates them.
The Senate must confirm any replacements, creating the possibility of a partisan confirmation fight as the November elections approach.
- Trump must nominate new commissioners.
- The Senate must approve the nominees.
- Existing staff will continue routine agency operations.
- New voting-system certifications could face delays without commissioners.
Former commissioners could also challenge their removals in federal court, arguing that the commission’s bipartisan structure distinguishes it from agencies covered directly by the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.
The administration would likely respond that the EAC performs executive functions and therefore cannot be insulated from presidential supervision.
For Trump, the decision creates an opportunity to install commissioners who share his priorities on citizenship verification, voter identification, voting-system security, and accurate registration records.
The central question is whether the Senate can confirm new leadership quickly enough to restore the commission’s full authority before the 2026 midterms.
