President Donald Trump has terminated two of the three remaining members of the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a move that effectively halts the agency’s capacity to assist local election officials in their preparations for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The two dismissed officials, Chairman Thomas Hicks and commissioner Benjamin Hovland—both selected by congressional Democrats—received formal notification of their termination via email on July 9. A copy of this communication was reviewed by USA TODAY.
The commission, which serves as the only federal agency dedicated exclusively to election administration, is now facing a significant leadership void. This follows the resignation of the commission’s vice chair, Christy McCormick, on June 9, and the earlier departure of Republican commissioner Donald Palmer. Because the EAC requires a quorum of three out of its four commissioners to approve any official actions, the current vacancies have rendered the body unable to fulfill its primary responsibilities. To approve any actions, the commission needs agreement from three of its four commissioners. Meanwhile, it could take months to fill the vacancies.
In response to the dismissals, Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, stated that these removals leave the agency without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities. A White House official defended the decision, citing a June 29 Supreme Court ruling that grants the president broad authority over the leadership of independent agencies. The White House issued a statement asserting that the president reserves the right to remove individuals who may not be fully aligned with the goal of securing American elections and ensuring the accurate counting of legal votes.
By law, commissioners are nominated by the president based on recommendations from congressional leadership in both the House and Senate, with a requirement that no more than two members belong to the same political party. All appointees must be confirmed by the Senate. The EAC was originally established by Congress following the 2000 election to provide non-federalized support to states, including the distribution of election funds, maintenance of national mail voter registration forms, and the certification of voting systems. In recent months, the commission had been active in approving additional security funding and working with states to ensure the accessibility of mail-in balloting.
Earlier this year, for example, the commissioners approved extra security funding for election officials. During the coronavirus pandemic, the commission worked with states to ensure mail balloting would be broadly accessible by the 2020 presidential election.
