President Donald Trump has removed two Democratic members of the bipartisan federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a move confirmed by the White House on Friday. This executive action aims to reshape the nation's voting processes, particularly by advancing Trump's push for mandatory U.S. citizenship documentation for voter registration.
Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, both Democratic appointees, were ousted from the commission. Republican member Christy McCormick resigned, and former Republican commissioner Donald Palmer had already departed earlier this year. These changes were first reported by VoteBeat, an outlet covering elections.
The State's Role in Consolidating Power
The White House asserted the president's right to remove commissioners, stating, “The President, and head of the Executive Branch, 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.” This justification directly references the Supreme Court’s recent “Slaughter decision,” which expanded presidential authority over independent executive agencies. The 6-3 conservative majority ruling last month overturned a nearly century-old precedent, granting Trump wide executive power to fire political appointees without cause.
This consolidation of executive power stands in stark contrast to another recent Supreme Court decision. In a separate case involving Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, a 5-4 majority ruled the president could not fire central bank governors without cause. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court’s three liberals, citing the central bank’s “appearance of independence” as key to its design and its role in setting monetary policy that shapes the U.S. and world economy. The state, through its highest court, thus protects institutions vital to capital accumulation while enabling executive interference in electoral oversight.
Impact on Voter Access
The EAC, established 24 years ago by the Help America Vote Act, distributes grants to state and local election offices, tests voting systems, and maintains national voter registration forms. With seats potentially vacant, the commission could be unable to distribute new grants and face complications in overseeing the testing and certification of voting systems nationwide. This directly impacts the infrastructure supporting voter access.
Trump has consistently sought to reshape voting regulations, despite the U.S. Constitution granting control of elections to the states. His administration threatened states this week if they did not try to purge what federal officials believe are noncitizens from their voter rolls. A sweeping March 2025 executive order, issued one year ago, urged the EAC to require citizenship documentation on the national voter registration form. The commission had previously declined this change, and a federal judge blocked that order, ruling it exceeded presidential authority. The administration plans to appeal.
Liberal Inadequacy
Democratic lawmakers offered criticism, but no structural challenge. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, and Rep. Joe Morelle, D-New York, stated Trump was “trying to dismantle yet another independent guardrail of our democracy designed to keep elections fair and secure.” They blamed the Supreme Court’s conservative majority for enabling the move. David Becker, a former Department of Justice attorney, downplayed the immediate impact, writing that the purge “doesn’t really change anything about how our elections will be run.” Such statements fail to address the underlying power dynamics at play. The White House did not indicate whether Trump would nominate new members immediately, or if the positions would remain vacant, further cementing executive control over the electoral apparatus. Hicks and Hovland were notified of their removal via email from Morgan DeWitt Snow, deputy director of presidential personnel. They could challenge their dismissals, a move that might require the Supreme Court to revisit its recent decisions on presidential power over independent agencies. Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.