President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly terminated the remaining three members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent federal body tasked with assisting election administration officials nationwide.
The White House confirmed the dismissals, which leave the crucial bipartisan commission without any active members.
The three commissioners, the last of the four-member panel, were forced out through different means. One Republican appointee resigned, while the two Democratic appointees received termination emails from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to sources familiar with the decision.
The fourth commissioner had departed the commission in April.
These terminations follow a recent Supreme Court decision that expanded the president’s authority to remove members of independent agencies.
They also align with President Trump’s ongoing push for increased federal intervention in voting processes, traditionally managed by individual states, as midterm elections draw near in November.
The termination email, seen by Reuters, stated: “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.”
A White House official, confirming the terminations after Reuters’ initial report, issued a statement.
“The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted,” the official said, citing the Supreme Court ruling as justification.
The official added that the Trump administration 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.”
The Election Assistance Commission plays a vital role as a “national clearinghouse of information on election administration.”
Its responsibilities include accrediting testing laboratories, certifying voting systems, and maintaining the national mail voter registration form established by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as detailed on its website.
The dismissals also come amid advocacy from President Trump and his top administration officials to alter vote-by-mail requirements ahead of the midterm elections.
This follows investigations into the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which President Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. In his second term, President Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the 2020 election was rigged.
The future of the commission, established by Congress in 2002 through the Help America Vote Act, remains uncertain. The law mandates a four-member panel, evenly split between two Democrats and two Republicans, with appointments made by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The three commissioners who were forced out – Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland, and Christy McCormick – had all received unanimous Senate confirmation.
While the 2002 law permits the president to appoint replacements, it is unclear how President Trump intends to proceed with the now-empty commission. Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, voiced his concern on social media, stating the terminations “should concern every American, regardless of party.”
Warner added, “Removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration and raises profound concerns about political interference in the institutions that support our elections.”