Daily Intel Report — July 10, 2022 | Listen Free | Join the Effort
In a move that voting rights advocates are calling an “unprecedented assault on election integrity,” President Trump has fired the two Democratic members of the independent, bipartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and accepted the resignation of its Republican commissioner — leaving the federal agency responsible for helping states administer secure elections with no sitting commissioners just four months before the 2026 midterm elections.
The Commission That Protects Your Vote
The Election Assistance Commission was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002, passed in response to the voting irregularities that plagued the 2000 presidential election. Its mission is straightforward: improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process. The EAC assists states with election administration, including certifying voting systems and maintaining mail-in voter forms.
By design, the commission is bipartisan. The Help America Vote Act specifies that no more than two commissioners may belong to the same political party — a careful congressional safeguard meant to ensure that election administration remains above partisan politics. The agency cannot make any significant decisions unless three confirmed commissioners agree.
That safeguard is now gone.
What Happened
On Thursday, July 9, President Trump fired the commission’s two Democratic members — Chair Thomas Hicks and Commissioner Benjamin Hovland — while accepting the resignation of its sole Republican commissioner, Christy McCormick. A fourth commissioner, Republican Donald Palmer, had already departed earlier this year.
The dismissals came via email. According to reports, a White House official wrote to one of the fired commissioners: “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.”
The White House defended the action, stating 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.”
The removals came days after the Supreme Court ruled in the Slaughter decision that presidents have broad discretion over leadership in the federal bureaucracy, expanding the president’s ability to fire the heads of independent agencies. One person familiar with the shakeup said they anticipated imminent changes at the EAC once the court made its decision.
Why This Matters Now
The timing is everything. The midterm elections are less than four months away. With the EAC gutted, there is no federal body to:
- Certify voting systems
- Distribute federal election grants to states
- Maintain the national mail voter registration form
- Provide technical assistance and guidance to election officials
As Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, put it: “Today’s terminations are deeply concerning in light of President Trump’s relentless efforts to try to interfere in elections. Congress deliberately structured the Election Assistance Commission as a bipartisan agency to help states administer free, fair, and secure elections. These removals leave the agency without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities.”
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a top state election official, called the move “irresponsible and dangerous” and said the administration remains “dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across this country.”
A Pattern of Pressure
The EAC firings are not an isolated incident. They are part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to reshape how elections are run in America.
The Justice Department sent letters this week to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, warning that they could face criminal charges if they knowingly allow noncitizens to vote or remain on voting rolls. The letters demanded states respond within five days.
FEMA has told states that it would withhold 20 percent of some terrorism-preparedness grants — which total approximately $1 billion each year — unless they provide “proof of compliance” with election security measures, including paper ballot systems, citizenship verification, and costly audits. States and high-risk urban areas must decide by July 24 whether to accept these requirements.
The SAVE America Act — which would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, and sharply limit mail-in voting — remains stalled in the Senate. Senate Democrats are unified against it, and proponents cannot break through the 60-vote filibuster. The bill has also caused infighting among House Republicans, with 14 Republicans voting against advancing the annual defense authorization bill because it didn’t include the president’s voting bill.
The courts have repeatedly blocked the administration’s efforts. A federal judge barred Trump’s executive order attempting to create a national voter list. Courts have also blocked similar efforts by the administration to require changes to voting, saying the Constitution grants power over elections to states and not the executive branch.
Yet the administration presses forward.
The Bigger Picture
This is not just about one commission or one rule. It is about a coordinated effort to reshape American democracy.
Election law scholar Rick Hasen noted that the question “is what Trump might try to do with the EAC without commissioners.”
The Brennan Center’s Michael Waldman added: “The guardrails Congress placed on this agency are clear and must be followed: the Election Assistance Commission was designed to be bipartisan with four members, no more than two of which can be from the same political party. … Until bipartisan replacements are confirmed, the agency cannot lawfully make any decisions that affect how Americans vote.”
The Bottom Line
The Trump administration has dismantled the independent, bipartisan federal agency responsible for helping states run secure elections — just four months before the midterms. The EAC has no sitting commissioners. There is no federal body to certify voting systems or provide election oversight.
This is not an accident. This is a pattern. From threatening state election officials with prosecution, to tying federal grants to election mandates, to demanding proof-of-citizenship voting requirements — the administration is systematically attempting to seize control of how Americans vote.
The courts have blocked much of this. But the assault continues. And with the EAC gutted, there is now a gaping hole in the infrastructure that protects our elections.
The people must pay attention. The people must speak out. And the people must vote.
What You Can Do Right Now
Check Your Voter Registration Status. Make sure you and everyone in your household are registered to vote. Visit your state’s election website or use a nonpartisan tool like Vote.org to confirm your registration and update your address if needed.
Contact Your State’s Attorney General and Election Officials. Let them know you support the integrity of our elections and oppose federal overreach. State and local officials are on the front lines of defending our democratic process.
Speak Out About Election Interference. Contact your members of Congress. Tell them you oppose the dismantling of the Election Assistance Commission and demand they take action to protect the integrity of the 2026 midterms.
Talk to Your Neighbors. Many people don’t know about these attacks on our election infrastructure. Spread the word. Make sure everyone understands what’s at stake and is prepared to vote in November.
Support the Fight For the People PAC. Support Democrats at every level of government who will defend the right to vote and protect our democratic institutions. Chip in whatever you can and/or sign up to volunteer at fightforthepeoplepac.com or democrats.org. Join the fight for a better America. Be the voice that cannot be bought.
Sources
- ProPublica: “Trump Pushes Out Remaining Members of Bipartisan Election Commission Ahead of Midterms” (July 10, 2026)
- The New York Times: “Trump Administration Fires Members of Independent Election Group” (July 10, 2026)
- Politico: “Trump ousts members of bipartisan election commission ahead of midterms” (July 10, 2026)
- The Guardian: “Trump called ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ over election commission firings” (July 10, 2026)
- CNN: “Trump fires Election Assistance Commission leaders” (July 10, 2026)
- Brennan Center for Justice: “Brennan Center Reacts to the Terminations of Election Assistance Commissioners by President Trump” (July 9, 2026)
- Newsweek: “Donald Trump flexes presidential muscle after Supreme Court ruling” (July 9, 2026)
- The New York Times: “New Rules Require Election Changes for States to Get Terrorism Grants” (July 7, 2026)
- Military.com: “FEMA Ties One-Fifth of States’ Terrorism Prevention Money to New Election Mandates” (July 9, 2026)
- Scripps News: “SAVE America Act stalls in Congress as Trump pushes voting restrictions ahead of midterms” (July 1, 2026)
- The Hill: “GOP infighting over SAVE America Act leaves critical legislation in limbo” (July 1, 2026)
- Fox News: “Trump’s voter ID bill catches unlikely break as McConnell remains sidelined” (July 9, 2026)
Written and composed with AI.
The People's Weekly 
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