Trump Removes Election Assistance Commission Leaders, Agency Lacks Quorum
5 verified4 unconfirmed
President Donald Trump has removed the two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a bipartisan agency created to help states administer elections. Following the dismissals, the sole remaining Republican commissioner resigned, leaving the four-member body without a quorum and unable to approve new policies. The White House stated it was working to “safeguard elections from fraud and abuse” ahead of November’s midterm elections. Democrats condemned the move as an attempt to increase White House influence over elections. The action follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that presidents can fire members of independent agency boards without cause. Experts say the move is unlikely to affect the midterms directly because U.S. elections are administered at the state level. However, the loss of leadership removes a support structure for state election workers already dealing with burnout and threats.
What’s verified
Trump removed the two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and the remaining Republican commissioner resigned.
The EAC is now without a quorum and cannot approve new business or changes to election procedures.
The EAC is a bipartisan agency created in 2002 to certify voting systems, distribute federal grants, and maintain the national voter registration form.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Trump v. Slaughter allowed the president to remove appointees from independent agencies without cause.
State-level administration of elections limits the immediate impact on the upcoming midterms.
Not yet confirmed
One source reported that White House officials reviewed a proposal to declare a national emergency and create a federal task force to address voting system vulnerabilities without involving the EAC, but the proposal was never implemented.
The same source noted that the Trump administration was frustrated by the EAC’s delay in updating voting machine guidelines and its refusal to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the national mail voter registration form.
One source mentioned that the EAC can still follow through on most of its tasks without Senate-confirmed commissioners, except adopting new policies.
The sources did not specify the exact date of the resignations or the full names of the dismissed commissioners.
Misconceptions
One source noted that the White House raised concerns including “widely debunked claims of fraud during the 2020 election that Trump lost.”
Key figures
President Donald Trump
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
