Trump administration ousts entire Election Assistance Commission ahead of November midterms

The Trump administration took a controversial decision just months before the midterm elections by ousting every single remaining member of the independent Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The two Democratic members of the EAC, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, were informed of the decision via e-mail, while Christy McComick was allowed to resign. Republican commissioner Donald Palmer left his position in April for a job at the Heritage Foundation, as per a CNBC report.

"The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals who may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted," a White House official told CNBC. As per the official, the Supreme Court's decision in the recent Trump v. Slaughter case gives Trump and future presidents the right to remove members of independent federal agencies under the government's executive branch.

The EAC, an independent, bipartisan federal agency founded under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, has been responsible for certifying voting systems, distributing funds to states to help develop their election infrastructure, and maintaining the National Mail Voter Registration Form. Purging the current members of the EAC is part of an administrative push to curb alleged election fraud before the midterms.

"The Administration from the start has been 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," CNBC quoted the White House official as saying. As per the New York Times, an unidentified source from the White House said that the President had the authority to remove people who "may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted."

The administration's decision has been met with heavy criticism from Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that it was a "brazen attempt" by the GOP to take control of the election process. "He is gutting the independent agency that certifies voting systems and helps election officials run secure elections," he wrote on X. "Senate Democrats will fight this power grab at every turn. The American people—not Donald Trump—will decide the 2026 election."

Rep. Analilia Mejia said that the decision was a step towards "eroding" democracy. "Trump guts the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission and pushes the SAVE America Act to choke voter registration and fair elections," she wrote. President Trump has made it clear that the SAVE America Act is one of the most important bills he wants passed, so much so that he refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill.