Trump removes all remaining Election Assistance Commission members before midterms

Summary

A few months before the midterm elections, Donald Trump forced out the three remaining commissioners of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent federal body that helps states and municipalities run their elections. The four-member commission is designed to be bipartisan: the lone Republican appointee resigned, while the two Democratic appointees were notified of their terminations by email from the White House. The EAC's responsibilities include maintaining the national mail-in voter registration form and providing guidance to local election officials on everything from voting systems to cybersecurity. Eliminating its leadership so close to a major election cycle is the kind of move that has no modern precedent at this scale. Election administrators across the country have relied on the commission's technical support and resources for two decades, since Congress created it in the wake of the 2000 Florida recount debacle. With no commissioners in place, the agency's ability to fulfill those functions during the run-up to November is now an open question. Critics, including election officials in both parties, have warned the timing could introduce confusion and logistical problems into an already high-stakes election cycle.