President Donald Trump removed two Democratic members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, leaving the federal agency without any sitting commissioners after the panel’s remaining Republican member had already resigned, as reported by Townhall.
The personnel changes effectively vacate the four-member commission responsible for issuing voluntary election administration guidance to state and local officials.
The Election Assistance Commission, commonly known as the EAC, has no enforcement authority but develops best practices for election administration and establishes specifications used in testing and certifying voting systems.
According to NOTUS, the White House dismissed the two Democratic commissioners on Thursday afternoon, completing the departure of every member of the bipartisan panel.
The move immediately drew criticism from Democratic election officials and strategists, who argued the dismissals could affect the commission’s work ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Tim Lim, a Democratic strategist who works on election administration issues, criticized the action.
“Trump couldn’t rig the elections through the SAVE Act, so he’s now moving unilaterally to subvert the 2026 elections, starting with sacking the bipartisan EAC commissioners,” Lim said.
“Between the FBI surging into Fulton County and today’s action, it’s clear Donald Trump is determined to stop a free and fair election this November.”
The Election Assistance Commission was created by Congress through the Help America Vote Act, following the closely contested 2000 presidential election.
Its mission is to provide election administration guidance, distribute certain federal election funds, and develop voluntary standards for voting systems used by states and local jurisdictions.
Although the commission issues recommendations and technical guidance, election administration remains primarily the responsibility of state and local governments.
Throughout its history, the commission has periodically operated without a full complement of commissioners.
According to reports, the agency lacked a quorum for several years before the Senate confirmed new commissioners in 2019, allowing it to resume updating election guidance.
NOTUS also reported that Republicans have previously sought to eliminate the agency, though those efforts were unsuccessful. During former President Joe Biden’s administration, the commission’s staff reportedly doubled in size.
Following staffing reductions during the Trump administration, the agency now has approximately 65 employees.
The departure of all commissioners raises questions about how the agency will carry out its bipartisan advisory responsibilities unless new members are nominated and confirmed.
The White House action comes as the Trump administration continues to reshape federal agencies and exercise executive authority over independent commissions.
The dismissals also follow a recent Supreme Court ruling involving former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter.
The decision concluded that the president could remove certain independent agency officials without cause, while distinguishing the Federal Reserve from that holding.
Legal observers have noted that the ruling may influence how future administrations approach appointments and removals at independent federal agencies.
As of Thursday evening, the White House had not publicly announced replacements for the vacant Election Assistance Commission seats.
The timeline for nominating and confirming new commissioners also remained unclear.
With the commission now lacking any sitting members, its ability to issue bipartisan recommendations or update election guidance may remain on hold until new appointments are made and confirmed.
