Trump removes final Election Assistance Commission members

US President Donald Trump on Thursday, July 9, dismissed the remaining three members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the independent federal body that supports election administration across the country, the White House confirmed.

The final three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan panel left the commission under different circumstances, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The sole Republican appointee resigned, while the two Democratic members were informed of their dismissal through emails sent by the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to a source familiar with the decision and two others briefed on the matter.

The commission's fourth member had already stepped down in April.

The move comes after a recent Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential authority to remove officials from independent agencies, and amid efforts by the Trump administration to increase federal involvement in election procedures traditionally overseen by individual states as November's midterm elections approach.

"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," the termination email stated.

The White House later confirmed the dismissals following Reuters' report.

"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," a White House official remarked, pointing to the Supreme Court ruling as justification.

The official added that the 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."

According to the commission's mandate, the EAC acts as a national hub for election administration information, accredits testing laboratories, certifies voting systems and maintains the national mail voter registration form established under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The dismissals also come as Trump and senior administration officials advocate changes to vote-by-mail rules ahead of the midterms and continue examining the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump was defeated by Democrat Joe Biden.

Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly asserted, without providing evidence, that the 2020 election was rigged.

Congress established the Election Assistance Commission in 2002 through the Help America Vote Act. Under the legislation, the body consists of four commissioners — two Democrats and two Republicans — appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The three departing commissioners — Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland and Christy McCormick — had all received unanimous Senate confirmation.

Although the 2002 law allows the president to nominate replacements, it remains unclear how quickly the administration intends to reconstitute the commission.

Senator Mark Warner criticised the decision in a social media post on Thursday, arguing that it should "concern every American, regardless of party."

"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," Warner wrote.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov