President Donald Trump has removed all members of the federal commission that helps oversee election administration across the country, leaving the bipartisan panel with no active commissioners just months before the 2026 midterm elections.
The White House confirmed Thursday that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is now vacant after one Republican commissioner resigned and two Democratic commissioners were dismissed through emails sent by the White House Presidential Personnel Office. A fourth commissioner had already left the agency in April.
The move follows a recent Supreme Court decision expanding the president’s authority to remove officials from certain independent agencies, a ruling the White House cited in defending the action.
A termination email informed the commissioners that their positions were being ended “effective immediately,” Reuters reports.
A White House official said President Trump has the authority to remove officials who are “not totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.” The administration also said it is working with federal agencies and state and local partners to strengthen election security and combat election fraud ahead of the midterms.
Created by Congress under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the Election Assistance Commission serves as a bipartisan resource for election officials nationwide. Among its responsibilities are certifying voting systems, accrediting testing laboratories, maintaining the national mail voter registration form, and providing guidance on election administration.
By law, the commission is designed to have four members, two Democrats and two Republicans, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The three commissioners removed this week, Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland, and Christy McCormick, had all previously received unanimous Senate confirmation.
The administration has not announced when it plans to nominate replacements, leaving the future of the commission uncertain as election officials prepare for November’s midterms.
The dismissals also come as the Trump administration continues to advocate changes to election procedures, including vote-by-mail policies, while pushing for a greater federal role in election administration.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) criticized the decision, saying removing every remaining commissioner months before a national election “demands an immediate explanation” from the administration and raises concerns about political interference in institutions that support U.S. elections.
For now, the commission created to provide bipartisan guidance and oversight for election administration has been left without a single active member, with no timetable for when it will be restored.
