Trump removes remaining Election Assistance Commission members, leaving agency without quorum
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President Donald Trump terminated the three remaining commissioners of the Election Assistance Commission, creating a vacancy that prevents the agency from taking official action until new members are confirmed.
President Donald Trump dismissed the two Democratic commissioners of the Election Assistance Commission, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, by email on Thursday, and the lone Republican commissioner, Christy McCormick, was allowed to resign, according to agency sources. The agency’s fourth commissioner, Republican Donald Palmer, had already left earlier in the year to join the Heritage Foundation. With all four seats vacant, the commission lacks a quorum and cannot conduct official business.
The firings come shortly after the Supreme Court ruled that the president may remove leaders of independent agencies, a decision that could affect the legal standing of bipartisan commissions such as the EAC. "It’s an open question about the EAC and the [Federal Election Commission]," said UCLA election-law professor Rick Hasen, noting that the issue has not yet been tested in court.
The Election Assistance Commission, created by the Help America Vote Act after the 2000 election, provides states with funding, maintains the national mail-voter registration form, tests and certifies voting equipment, and issues best-practice guidance. Under the law, commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with no more than two members from the same party. The president cannot unilaterally install replacements.
With the agency frozen, routine functions such as the certification of voting systems and the administration of federal election-fund programs are on hold. The pause could affect efforts to update voter-registration forms or voting-system standards before the 2026 midterm elections. The EAC has previously experienced periods without a quorum, but the current vacancy results from a direct presidential action rather than term expirations or resignations.
Both the White House and the Election Assistance Commission declined to comment on the dismissals.