Trump Election Commission Firings Follow White House Push for Voting System Changes

The White House spent months exploring ways to bypass the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and use emergency powers to accelerate changes to voting systems before President Donald Trump dismissed the agency’s leadership this week, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Officials involved in the talks said some administration figures believed the bipartisan election agency was moving too slowly to update voting machine guidelines, revise the national mail voter registration form to include proof-of-citizenship requirements, and advance other election-related priorities.

On Thursday, Trump removed the EAC’s two Democratic commissioners, while the agency’s only Republican commissioner resigned. A fourth commissioner had already left in April, leaving the commission without a quorum. Although the agency can continue certifying voting equipment, conducting research, and distributing federal election grants, it cannot approve new policies or voting procedure changes.

The White House defended its broader election strategy, saying the administration has worked with federal agencies and local officials to strengthen election security and prevent fraud ahead of the November midterm elections. It also cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential authority to remove officials from independent agencies.

Democratic lawmakers sharply criticized the dismissals, arguing they threaten the independence of the federal body responsible for certifying voting systems. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the move as an effort to increase federal influence over elections before voters head to the polls.

According to sources, White House officials last year reviewed an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recommendation to declare a national emergency and establish a federal task force that could require states to address vulnerabilities in voting systems without relying on the EAC. The proposal was never implemented.

The recommendation followed an ODNI investigation into voting machines seized in Puerto Rico. Sources said officials identified potential vulnerabilities they believed could exist elsewhere, although the report was never released publicly.

Election experts noted that updating voting system standards is intentionally a lengthy process because of the complexity of election technology and extensive public review requirements. Meanwhile, Congress allocated $45 million to the EAC in fiscal year 2026 for election system improvements. Since 2018, the agency has distributed more than $1.4 billion in grants to help states strengthen election administration.