U.S. President Donald Trump terminates the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an independent federal body that assists state and local election officials with election administration. The White House says the final commissioners are removed as planning for the November midterm elections continues. Multiple outlets report that the EAC has a four-member, bipartisan structure and that Trump’s actions remove the remaining commissioners from the agency, leaving it without commissioners to act.
The reports describe that the commissioners are forced out in different ways and that the White House defends the decision. Top Democrats criticize the move, arguing it undermines the agency’s ability to function during a period when states are preparing and certifying election procedures and equipment.
Because the EAC is responsible for providing guidance and support to election officials, the terminations raise questions about how the agency’s work proceeds in the run-up to the midterms and what, if any, impact the vacancy has on election administration at the state and local level.
