Trump ousts Election Assistance Commission members ahead of 2026 midterms

Donald Trump removed the two Democratic members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, leaving the small federal elections agency without commissioners as the 2026 midterms approach.

The White House confirmed the removals of Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland and said the president reserves the right to remove officials who are not aligned with securing elections and counting every legal vote. The administration cited the Supreme Court’s recent Slaughter decision as the legal basis for the action.

The move came after Christy McCormick had already resigned from the commission and Donald Palmer had previously left voluntarily. With the two Democratic members gone, the bipartisan body now has no commissioners in place.

Why the EAC matters

The Election Assistance Commission is a small but important federal agency created by the Help America Vote Act after the 2000 Florida recount controversy. Its job includes distributing federal grants to states, overseeing testing of voting systems and maintaining the national voter registration form.

Federal election administration is carried out mainly by states and local governments, but the EAC provides standards, certification and support that shape how elections are run. That makes it consequential even though it rarely draws public attention.

AP reported that the firings are unlikely to have immediate major effects on the November midterms, but vacancies that last could hinder grant distribution and slow voting-system certification. The agency’s ability to function normally without commissioners is now an open question.

Political backlash

Democrats on Capitol Hill quickly condemned the move. Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Joe Morelle said it politicizes elections and weakens an independent guardrail that is supposed to stay bipartisan.

The Guardian reported that Senate Democrats were preparing to fight the firings, and Democratic leaders framed them as a brazen attempt to seize control of election administration. The episode has already become part of the broader fight over who controls the machinery of U.S. elections before November 2026.

The White House’s explanation ties the move to a recent Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential power to remove officials from independent agency boards without cause. That ruling gave the administration a legal framework for acting against the commissioners.

What happens next

The immediate questions are whether the removed commissioners will sue, whether Trump will nominate replacements quickly and how long the EAC can operate without commissioners.

The stakes go beyond personnel. If vacancies persist, the agency could face disruption in grantmaking, certification work and other tasks that election officials depend on.

The firings also fit a broader pattern of Trump trying to expand White House influence over election administration. For now, the White House says the president acted within his authority. Democrats say the move undermines an agency designed to remain independent and bipartisan.