Trump ousts members of federal election panel in run-up to midterm elections

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President Donald Trump fired on Thursday the last two federal election officials in charge of the agency that ensures accurate, secure votes ahead of midterms in November, US media reported.

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The bipartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is usually led by a four-commissioner panel, but the two Republican-nominated commissioners resigned earlier this year, USA Today reported.

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Both of the fired commissioners were selected by Democrats and received an email dismissing them on Thursday, the newspaper reported.

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“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,” said an email from a White House official to one of the fired commissioners, CNN reported.

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Democrats decried the move, with top state election officials like Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes calling it “irresponsible and dangerous.”

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“This administration remains dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across the country,” he said in a press release.

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US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia posted on X that the dismissals “should concern every American regardless of party,” adding “removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration.”

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The Brennan Center for Justice’s CEO Michael Waldman called the firings “deeply concerning in light of President Trump’s relentless efforts to try to interfere in elections.”

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Waldman added that the bipartisan nature of the four-member EAC was carefully designed by Congress to require no more than two members from the same political party.

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The EAC was created in 2002 and certifies voting equipment while administering hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for elections, CNN reported.

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Trump has clashed with the EAC over his executive order directing the agency to add a requirement for proof of citizenship to voter registration forms, a demand that was largely blocked in court, CNN reported.

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To approve any actions, the commission requires agreement from three of four commissioners, but it could take months to fill the vacancies, USA Today reported.

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According to the newspaper, the White House said in a statement that the president “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.”

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AFP

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