President Donald Trump has removed the remaining leadership of the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a move that reshapes oversight of election administration ahead of the 2026 midterm contests.
The decision follows a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming that a U.S. president has the authority to dismiss the heads of independent agencies within the executive branch, underscoring the constitutional principle that executive power ultimately resides with the elected president rather than unelected bureaucrats, according to Reuters. Two Democratic commissioners, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, were informed of their dismissal by email, while the sole Republican on the panel, Christy McCormick, chose to resign rather than await formal removal. With their departures, the four-member bipartisan commission has been left without any sitting commissioners, effectively pausing its leadership at a time when election integrity and administration remain central issues for voters.
Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday terminated the members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide, according to one person familiar with the decision and two other people briefed on the terminations. The outlet further noted that The remaining three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan commission were forced out of the commission on Thursday in different ways. The one Republican appointee resigned and the other two Democratic appointees were notified of their termination via an email by the White House Presidential Personnel Office.
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, the email, seen by Reuters, said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, leaving open questions about the timing of replacements and the administrations broader reform plans for federal election oversight.
The Election Assistance Commission serves as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, and maintains the national mail voter registration form developed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, according to the commissions website. With the commission now temporarily vacant, the administration has an opportunity to nominate new leadership that prioritizes election security, transparency, and accountabilityissues that conservatives argue have been neglected by entrenched bureaucrats and partisan appointees in recent years.
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