Trump removes remaining members of Election Assistance Commission

President Donald Trump dismissed the three remaining commissioners of the four-member Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, leaving the agency without its bipartisan leadership just weeks before the November midterm elections. One Republican appointee resigned, while two Democratic appointees received termination notices via email from the White House personnel office. The email, obtained by Reuters, stated: "On behalf of President Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service."

The Election Assistance Commission, created by the 2002 Help America Vote Act, functions as a national clearinghouse for election administration information, accredits testing laboratories, certifies voting systems, and maintains the national mail-voter registration form established under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The terminations follow the administration’s broader efforts to modify vote-by-mail rules and investigate the 2020 election outcome.

Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes criticized the move, saying it "undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration" and could create challenges for election officials across the country.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it remains unclear how the president will fill the vacant seats on the commission.