The Trump administration removes the last remaining commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a bipartisan federal agency that supports state election administration. Multiple outlets report that on Thursday the EAC’s three remaining commissioners were forced out: the lone Republican commissioner resigned, while the two Democratic commissioners received termination notices by email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office. A fourth commissioner had already left the agency earlier in April, leaving the EAC without its full leadership team.
The EAC was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to assist states with administering elections, including offering guidance on voting procedures, coordinating election-related practices, and distributing certain election security grant money. It also oversees the national voter registration form.
The shakeup follows a recent Supreme Court decision expanding presidential authority over certain independent agencies, which the White House cited when confirming the terminations. The administration says all EAC members will be replaced, but new appointments would require presidential nomination and subsequent Senate confirmation, a process that could leave the agency without commissioners during the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections. Critics warn this timing could disrupt election support functions.
