President Trump fired all three sitting commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday, July 9, leaving the agency with no members for the first time in its history Reuters.

The three commissioners removed were Benjamin Hovland and Thomas Hicks, both Democrats, and Christy McCormick, a Republican. Hovland broke his silence about the termination in an interview aired on NPR's "Morning Edition" on July 13, marking his first extended public comments since the firing NPR.

The EAC is a small, independent federal agency created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Its main job is to certify voting systems, distribute federal election security money to states, and set national standards for how elections run. By law, no more than two commissioners can belong to the same party, and commissioners serve staggered terms — a structure designed to prevent any single party from controlling the agency Votebeat.

McCormick's removal alongside the two Democrats stands out. Because she was the only Republican on the commission, her termination breaks the statutory design meant to keep partisan balance in place. The White House has not publicly explained why McCormick was included in the firings, a gap that matters given how Congress structured the agency to resist single-party dominance.

Reuters reported on July 11 that administration officials had explored ways to work around the EAC's authority before the firings, citing sources who described internal frustration with how slowly the commission updated its voluntary voting system standards Reuters. On the same day as the firings, the administration also moved to tie state anti-terrorism grants to adoption of specific election security measures Reuters. Neither report established a direct, publicly confirmed link between the grant conditions and the terminations, though the timing has drawn attention from election officials.

ProPublica described the firings as effectively dismantling the commission, since no confirmed replacements had been announced as of publication ProPublica. Reuters, Votebeat, ProPublica, CNBC and NPR all reported the same sequence of events within 48 hours.

For election officials who depend on the EAC's core functions — testing and certifying voting equipment, updating federal standards, and handling Help America Vote Act grant money — a commission with no sitting members creates operational challenges heading into the 2026 midterms. Without commissioners, the EAC cannot vote on matters requiring commission action, including updated guidance or system certifications, though career staff can continue routine administrative work.

Trump has the power to remove EAC commissioners. The legal question of whether "for cause" removal restrictions—similar to those at other independent agencies—apply specifically to the EAC has never been definitively settled in court, and no lawsuit challenging these terminations had been reported as of July 13.

The administration will need to nominate new commissioners to fill all four vacant seats, a process that requires Senate confirmation. With the midterm elections months away, the nomination and confirmation timeline will determine whether the EAC can resume normal operations before November voting begins.