Election Commission Purge
President Trump Fires All Election Assistance Commissioners, Halting Agency Functions
Key Points
The EAC's core functions include serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, accrediting testing laboratories and certifying voting systems, and maintaining the national mail voter registration form under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
Under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the president can appoint replacements to the EAC, but nominees must be confirmed by the Senate and no more than two commissioners can come from the same party.
The Federal Election Commission has been effectively neutered due to vacancies and lack of quorum, with the agency unable to carry out its normal campaign-finance actions and, by extension, its role in guiding states on voting procedures and machine updates.
The purge comes amid a Supreme Court ruling that broadened the president's power to fire leaders of independent federal agencies, weakening protections that historically insulated bipartisan commissions from direct White House control.
Election officials criticized the dismissals as irresponsible and dangerous, with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes calling the move 'irresponsible and dangerous' and saying it undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration.
President Trump has fired all three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal agency that helps run U.S. elections without any leadership, according to KOAA News. Two Democratic commissioners were terminated by email. A Republican member was allowed to resign instead.
The EAC cannot take any official action until the president names replacements and the Senate confirms them. The firings follow a Supreme Court ruling that gave presidents more power to remove leaders of independent federal agencies.
What the EAC Does and Why It Matters
The Election Assistance Commission was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Its core jobs include certifying voting machines, accrediting testing labs, and serving as a national clearinghouse for election information, according to WRTV. It also manages the national mail voter registration form used by millions of Americans each year.
Without commissioners, the agency is frozen. It cannot certify new voting systems. It cannot update election guidance. States that rely on EAC resources during ongoing elections will now have to manage without federal support until new members are confirmed.
Democratic Commissioners Fired, Republican Allowed to Resign
Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and a second Democratic member received termination notices by email. Republican commissioner Christy McCormick was permitted to resign, according to WTXL. The split treatment drew immediate attention, with critics noting the two parties were not treated equally in the removal process.
Under the Help America Vote Act, the president can nominate replacements. But the Senate must confirm them. The law also bars more than two commissioners from the same political party. That means Trump cannot simply install three Republicans.
Supreme Court Ruling Cleared the Path for These Firings
A recent Supreme Court ruling broadened the president's power to remove leaders of independent federal agencies. That decision weakened the legal protections that historically shielded bipartisan commissions from White House control. The ruling effectively made it easier for Trump to act against the EAC without a clear legal challenge stopping him, according to KOAA News.
The firings fit a broader pattern. The Federal Election Commission has also been left unable to act due to vacancies and a lack of quorum. Together, the two agencies that oversee elections and campaign finance are now both effectively paralyzed.
Election Officials Call Move 'Irresponsible and Dangerous'
State officials pushed back hard. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the firings 'irresponsible and dangerous.' He said the move directly undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration across the country. Other election officials echoed those concerns, according to WMAR2 News.
Critics warn the leadership gap comes at a bad time. States are in the middle of administering elections and updating voting technology. Without EAC certification, new voting systems cannot be approved for use. That leaves some states in a bind as they plan for upcoming election cycles.
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