Trump Ousts 3 Election Commission Members as Supreme Court Ruling Expands Presidential Power
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
Trump Ousts 3 Election Commission Members as Supreme Court Ruling Expands Presidential Power
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
Summary
Three Election Assistance Commission members were forced out Thursday, leaving the bipartisan agency with no commissioners months before the midterms.
Trump immediately terminated Democrats Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland and accepted Republican Christy McCormick’s resignation; the fourth seat had already been vacated this spring.
The White House said Trump can remove officials not fully aligned with securing elections and cited the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that broadened his power over independent regulators.
The move lands as Trump again questions election integrity, pushes stricter voter ID rules and limits on mail voting, and lays groundwork to challenge unfavorable midterm results.
How will states certify voting systems and access federal funds now that the national election commission is empty?
Who now sets the standards for America’s next generation of voting technology with the federal oversight agency disabled?
Could the legal precedent that emptied the EAC now be used to reshape other independent government commissions?
Supreme Court Empowers President to Fire Independent Agency Heads: EAC Shutdown and the Future of U.S. Election Oversight After Trump v. Slaughter (2026)
Overview
On July 9, 2026, President Trump reportedly fired all commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), effectively shutting down the agency. This action immediately paralyzed the EAC, leaving it without a quorum and unable to perform major parts of its work, such as updating voting-system guidance. As a result, there are significant delays in crucial election functions, creating a vacuum of support and guidance for state and local officials. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, these events have profound and immediate consequences for federal election administration and raise serious concerns about election preparedness.