Trump Terminates Remaining Election Assistance Commission Members
Quick Look
- President Donald Trump has terminated the remaining three members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission just months before the midterm elections.
- The commission serves as a national clearinghouse for election administration information and accredits voting systems.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Election Assistance Commission serves as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, accredits testing laboratories, and certifies voting systems. The terminations follow advocacy to change vote-by-mail requirements and investigations into the 2020 election outcome.
Donald Trump has terminated the remaining members of the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide just a few months before the midterm elections, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
The remaining three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan commission were forced out on Thursday in different ways. The one Republican appointee resigned and the other two, Democratic appointees were notified of their terminations via email from the White House presidential personnel office.
“On behalf of President Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the email, seen by Reuters, said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Election Assistance Commission serves as a “national clearinghouse of information on election administration”, accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, and maintains the national mail-voter registration form developed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, according to the commission’s website. The terminations follow Trump and top administration officials’ advocacy to change vote-by-mail requirements and investigations into the 2020 election outcome, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
“It is irresponsible and dangerous that this Administration remains dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across this country,” Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes said in a Thursday statement. “This move undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration.”
The 2002 law that established the commission, the Help America Vote Act, states the president can appoint replacements to the commission.
It is unclear how Trump will move ahead with the commission.
Reuters contributed reporting
Open Questions
- How will Trump proceed with the commission?
- Who will replace the terminated commissioners?
