Trump sacks US election commission officers in latest attempt to control voting process

President Donald Trump has removed the last three commissioners from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a small, independent bipartisan federal agency established under the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

The move, reported across major outlets including PBS, The New York Times, Reuters, Politico, and Votebeat, leaves the agency without a quorum and unable to fulfill core functions such as certifying voting systems, distributing grants to states, and maintaining national voter registration forms.

The EAC typically has four commissioners (two Democrats and two Republicans).

On July 9, 2026:
• Democratic Chair Thomas Hicks and Commissioner Benjamin Hovland were fired via email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office.

• Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick resigned (sources describe it as under pressure).

• A fourth seat was already vacant after former Republican Commissioner Donald Palmer left earlier.

The dismissals were first reported by Votebeat and confirmed by the White House.

Commissioners received termination notices stating their positions were ended effective immediately.

The action comes as states prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.

The Trump administration has pushed for changes to voting rules, including stricter citizenship verification for registration. The EAC had resisted some of these efforts in the past.

A White House official stated that the President, as head of the Executive Branch, has authority to remove officials not fully aligned with securing elections and ensuring only legal votes are counted.

They cited a recent Supreme Court ruling expanding presidential powers over certain independent agency boards.

The EAC now has no sitting commissioners, halting much of its work until new appointments subject to Senate confirmation restore a quorum.

This story is developing, with potential implications for how states administer the upcoming elections.