Former President Donald Trump has removed the three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a bipartisan federal agency tasked with assisting in election administration. The firings occurred just four months before the November midterm elections, leaving the four-seat board entirely vacant.
The EAC was established in 2002 under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to set voting system guidelines, certify voting equipment, maintain national voter registration forms, and distribute federal election grants. The agency also serves as a hub for information on best practices for elections. By law, no more than two of the EAC's four commissioner seats can be held by members of the same political party.
Trump has frequently promoted unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud and abuse in U.S. elections. These assertions have fueled his advocacy for policies such as restricting mail-in voting and implementing stricter voter identification requirements. The status of the EAC and whether Trump will appoint new commissioners to fill the vacancies remain unclear.