Trump Fires All Election Assistance Commissioners, Crippling Agency Before Midterms
President Trump dismissed the remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, July 9, 2026, leaving the agency with no commissioners as the midterm elections approach.[1]
Republican commissioner Don Palmer had already departed earlier in 2026; Trump then removed Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, and Republican Christy McCormick resigned.[1] The White House said Trump "reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned" with his election-security priorities and cited the Supreme Court's Slaughter decision as precedent.[1] Brennan Center president Michael Waldman warned the move leaves the EAC "without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities." NPR Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Joe Morelle said the removals are an effort to "politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous election interference." NPR
On March 25, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14248 directing the EAC to update the federal voter registration form and to condition grants on state compliance with proof-of-citizenship rules. Judges have blocked the main provisions of that order as exceeding presidential authority.[1] All three commissioners who left or were removed had been unanimously confirmed by the Senate under the bipartisan structure of the Help America Vote Act.[1]
The EAC must have three of its four commissioners voting to take most formal actions, a quorum requirement that now cannot be met. In fiscal year 2023 the commission administered $75 million in HAVA election-security grants; FY 2024 appropriations for such grants totaled $55 million. Critics warn that an unmanned EAC could hamper federal oversight and leave a path open for new legal and policy fights over the federal voter-registration form ahead of the midterms.
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant statutory requirement that the EAC must have three of its four commissioners voting to take formal actions, which underscores the gravity of the agency's current paralysis. This quorum requirement is critical for updating voting system guidelines, issuing regulations, and certifying systems, highlighting the potential for a governance vacuum as the midterms approach. According to the Congressional Research Service, the lack of leadership could severely impede the EAC's ability to fulfill its responsibilities, which include administering millions in election security grants that are crucial for state compliance with federal standards.[2]
Additionally, while the mainstream account cites concerns from political figures about the implications of these removals, it overlooks the broader context of the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Slaughter. This ruling has effectively dismantled the independence of federal agencies like the EAC, allowing for a direct alignment of its functions with presidential directives, which critics argue could lead to the politicization of election administration. This shift raises alarms about the erosion of checks and balances that were originally established to ensure fair electoral processes.[3]
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
The EAC requires a three-vote quorum of its four commissioners to take formal action on most major activities, including updating voting system guidelines, issuing regulations, and certifying systems.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) — Congressional Research Service
In FY 2023 the EAC administered and dispersed $75 million in HAVA election security grants to states and territories; FY 2024 appropriations for such grants totaled $55 million.
EAC Agency Financial Report — U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have statutes or rules requiring some form of EAC testing, certification, or adherence to federal voluntary voting system guidelines for voting equipment.
Brief Voting System Standards, Testing and Certification — National Conference of State Legislatures
📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, July 9, 2026, an association of state election officials notified its members that President Trump had dismissed the remaining U.S. Election Assistance Commission members.
- A White House statement said Trump “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned” with his election-security priorities and explicitly cited the Supreme Court's recent Slaughter decision as precedent.
- Republican commissioner Don Palmer had already departed earlier in 2026; Trump then dismissed Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, and Republican Christy McCormick resigned.
- All three removed or departed commissioners had been unanimously confirmed by the Senate under the bipartisan structure of the Help America Vote Act.
- Brennan Center president Michael Waldman warned that removing all commissioners leaves the EAC “without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities.”
- NPR reported that the main provisions of Trump's 2025 executive order directing the EAC to add proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal voter registration form have been blocked by judges as exceeding presidential authority.
- Ranking Democrats on key election committees, Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Joe Morelle, issued a joint statement calling the removals an effort to “politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous election interference.”
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- On Thursday, July 9, 2026, an association of state election officials notified its members that President Trump had dismissed the remaining U.S. Election Assistance Commission members.
- A White House statement said Trump "reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned" with his election-security priorities and explicitly cited the Supreme Court's recent Slaughter decision as precedent.
- The article specifies that Republican commissioner Don Palmer had already departed earlier in 2026, and that Trump then dismissed Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland while Republican Christy McCormick resigned.
- NPR notes that the main provisions of Trump's 2025 executive order directing the EAC to add proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal voter registration form have been blocked by judges as exceeding presidential authority.
- Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Joe Morelle, the ranking Democrats on key election committees, issued a joint statement calling the removals an effort to "politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous election interference."
- Brennan Center president Michael Waldman warned that removing all commissioners leaves the EAC "without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities."
- The piece reiterates that all three removed or departed commissioners had previously been unanimously confirmed by the Senate under the Help America Vote Act's bipartisan structure.