Donald Trump fired the last two Democratic-appointed members of the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) on July 9, 2026, via email notices, while the sole remaining Republican commissioner resigned the same day, leaving the commission without any sitting members [1, 2, 3]. The Republican commissioner Christy McCormick resigned that day, following the earlier 2026 resignation of Republican Donald Palmer [1, 3].
The EAC is a bipartisan federal agency established under the 2002 Help America Vote Act to assist state and local election officials by certifying voting systems, managing mail voter registration forms, and issuing election guidelines [3, 4]. The four-member commission cannot have more than two members from the same political party [2, 5]. Commissioners are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate [3].
The Trump administration stated the firings were due to the commissioners' alleged lack of full commitment to securing US elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted [2, 6]. The White House emphasized the president's right to remove officials who do not align with election security efforts and cited ongoing coordination with various agencies and local partners to safeguard elections ahead of the midterms [1, 6, 7].
Trump had long clashed with the EAC, particularly after issuing a 2025 executive order requiring proof of citizenship on mail voter registration forms, which the commission resisted and courts blocked in large part [2, 5, 7]. In June 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Slaughter expanding the president's authority to remove independent federal agency officials—a ruling Trump relied on to fire the EAC members [3, 8].
The commission requires three commissioners’ approval to act. With all four seats now vacant, the EAC is effectively paralyzed as the US approaches the November 2026 midterm elections [5, 9].
Democrats and civil rights groups condemned the firings, calling them a politically motivated attempt to interfere in the electoral process. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast" [1]. NAACP president Derrick Johnson said, "Donald Trump knows that in November voters will reject everything he stands for... Trump is terrified of the sacred power we all hold as voters, and that’s why he wants to rig this election" [1]. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes added, "This administration remains dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across the country" [7].
Senator Mark Warner called the removal "an extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration," while Brennan Center CEO Michael Waldman called the firings "deeply concerning in light of President Trump's relentless efforts to try to interfere in elections" [7].
Republican commissioners Donald Palmer and Christy McCormick left earlier this year, with Palmer resigning in April 2026 and McCormick on the day of the firings [1, 3]. The White House maintains it is prepared to work with agencies and local officials to secure the elections despite the commission's paralysis [6, 7]. The next major event will be the November 2026 midterms, where the lack of a functioning EAC raises concerns about election administration [1, 7].
