Reshaping the Election Assistance Commission: Trump’s Strategic Move

President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to reshape the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) by removing its remaining members. This leaves the bipartisan agency in uncertainty ahead of the midterms. Trump removed Benjamin Hovland and Thomas Hicks, Democrats on the commission, according to sources familiar with the situation reported by ProPublica. Christy McCormick, the Republican on the panel, was allowed to resign.

The shake-up in the commission has alarmed voter advocacy groups and Democratic state election officials. Nevada’s Secretary of State, Cisco Aguilar, called the move reckless, noting the critical role the EAC plays in supporting state and local election officials. With the commission’s dismantling, responsibilities will fall on Secretaries of State and other election administrators.

A White House official did not confirm the specifics but maintained that the president reserves the right to remove individuals who may not be fully aligned with securing America’s elections. The administration claims commitment to preventing fraud and abuse, emphasizing the importance of a robust infrastructure for the upcoming midterm elections.

Hovland, who was a commissioner since 2019, expressed pride in the commission’s accomplishments while visiting Missouri and received news of his termination via email. He was participating in efforts to safeguard election workers and praised the EAC’s development of new resources like social media templates for voter communication and training decks for election scenarios.

Established in 2003, the EAC sets standards for state voting systems and funds upgrades. It was designed to have an evenly split board between Republicans and Democrats, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. With the dismissal of its members, Trump aims to appoint replacements more amenable to his directives.

In March 2025, Trump issued an executive order directing changes to the national voter registration form to include proof of U.S. citizenship. This action reflects pressure from the Trump-affiliated law firm America First Legal. The EAC received hundreds of thousands of comments but had not yet voted on the matter.

The Bipartisan Policy Center notes the significant loss for a federal institution designed for bipartisan governance. Despite challenges like vacancies and limited funding, the EAC recently set new voting machine standards and created valuable resources for election officials, often reaching unanimous decisions.