Trump Restores Integrity to Election Assistance Commission by Removing Partisan Holdouts
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President Donald Trump has dismissed two Democratic commissioners from the Election Assistance Commission and accepted the resignation of the last Republican, paving the way for new appointments and stronger election security.
President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to ensure the security and integrity of America’s elections by dismissing the two Democratic commissioners of the Election Assistance Commission, Benjamin Hovland and Thomas Hicks, and accepting the resignation of Republican commissioner Christy McCormick. This move, confirmed by multiple sources, clears the agency of partisan obstruction and leaves the four-member board ready for a fresh start.
While left-wing voter-rights groups and Democratic state election officials have predictably voiced concern, claiming the agency’s ability to support state and local election officials will be compromised, the reality is that the EAC has long been hampered by partisan gridlock. 'The EAC plays a critical role in supporting state and local election officials,' said Cisco Aguilar, Nevada secretary of state and chair of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, as Democrats scramble to maintain their grip on the process.
A White House official, declining to comment on specific personnel matters, emphasized that the president 'reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.' The administration is working tirelessly across agencies and local partners to safeguard elections and invest in infrastructure ahead of the crucial midterm elections.
The Election Assistance Commission, created in 2003, is responsible for setting standards for voting systems and distributing federal funds for upgrades. Its board is supposed to be balanced between the two major parties, but partisan obstruction has often prevented real progress. With the resignation of Republican Don Palmer in April and the recent dismissals, President Trump now has the opportunity to appoint new commissioners who are truly committed to election integrity.
In March 2025, Trump issued a bold executive order directing the commission to modify the national voter registration form to require proof of U.S. citizenship—a commonsense reform long advocated by America First Legal and supported by millions of Americans. The commission opened a comment period and received hundreds of thousands of responses, but had not yet voted on the proposal due to bureaucratic delays.
The Bipartisan Policy Center noted the departures, but this change represents a necessary step toward restoring trust in one of the few federal institutions tasked with protecting the sanctity of American elections.