The Election Assistance Commission entered a period of uncertainty Thursday after President Donald Trump removed the agency’s remaining commissioners, leaving the federal election administration body without any sitting commissioners and unable to conduct official business until replacements are confirmed.
The White House confirmed the move after two Democratic commissioners received termination notices, while the agency’s remaining Republican commissioner was permitted to resign.
The action follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential authority to remove leaders of certain independent federal agencies, raising questions about how much independence Congress intended these agencies to have from presidential oversight.
The White House delivered the removals through written notices sent to the commissioners, including messages informing Hicks and Hovland that their appointments had ended immediately.
The notices, sent by the White House Presidential Personnel Office, thanked each commissioner for his service.
Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick resigned rather than receiving a termination notice, while Republican Donald Palmer had already departed the commission earlier this year.
The departures leave the four-member commission without the quorum necessary to conduct official business, according to Just the News.
A White House official told Reuters that President Trump “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.”
Trump also celebrated the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential removal authority in a Truth Social post, calling it “the Greatest Increase in Presidential Power in the last 100 years.”
The administration has not announced when it intends to nominate replacement commissioners or who those nominees may be.
Congress established the Election Assistance Commission through the Help America Vote Act of 2002 following the disputed 2000 presidential election, according to Votebeat.
While the commission does not run elections itself, it plays a significant role in shaping federal guidance, voting-system standards, and resources used by state and local election officials.
The agency distributes federal election grants, certifies voting systems, accredits testing laboratories, maintains the federal mail voter registration form, and issues guidance on election administration.
Federal law requires commissioners to be nominated by the president based on recommendations from congressional leaders of both parties, with no more than two commissioners belonging to the same political party.
All nominees must receive Senate confirmation before taking office.
The removals could set up a legal battle over the limits of presidential authority and the independence of bipartisan federal agencies.
The Supreme Court’s recent decisions expanding presidential removal power have raised questions about whether commissions created by Congress with bipartisan requirements, such as the Election Assistance Commission, receive the same protections from direct White House control as other independent agencies.
UCLA election law professor Rick Hasen told Votebeat that the issue remains unsettled, noting that the Supreme Court has not yet determined whether election-related commissions fall under the same rules.
Any challenge from the removed commissioners could become the first direct test of how the Court’s new removal doctrine applies to agencies structured around party balance.
The vacancies also create immediate operational challenges, as the commission requires a quorum to take formal action on matters including voting-system certifications and other agency responsibilities.
The dismissals drew differing reactions from supporters and critics.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes argued the decision could disrupt election administration ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to The Guardian.
Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, said the removals leave the commission unable to perform key responsibilities, USA Today reported.
The White House has maintained that the president possesses the authority to remove commissioners and emphasized its commitment to election security and ensuring that every legal vote is counted.
Until replacement commissioners are nominated and confirmed, the agency will remain unable to carry out official commission actions.
