Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has terminated the remaining members of the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide just a few months before the midterm elections, multiple outlets reported on July 9.
The remaining three commissioners of the four-member bipartisan commission were forced out in different ways. The one Republican appointee resigned and the other two, Democratic appointees were notified of their terminations via email from the White House presidential personnel office.
“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. Thank you for your service,” the email, seen by Reuters, said.
The Election Assistance Commission serves as a “national clearinghouse of information on election administration”, accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, and maintains the national mail-voter registration form developed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, according to the commission’s website. The terminations follow Trump and top administration officials’ advocacy to change vote-by-mail requirements and investigations into the 2020 election outcome, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
“It is irresponsible and dangerous that this Administration remains dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across this country,” Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes said in a statement. “This move undermines the integrity of nonpartisan election administration.”
The election commission was established by Congress in 2002 through the Help America Vote Act. The four commissioners are appointed by the President, are required to be evenly split with two Democrats and two Republicans, and ultimately need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The three remaining commissioners who were forced out, Thomas Hicks, Benjamin Hovland and Christy McCormick, were all unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
The 2002 law states the president can appoint replacements to the commission, but it is unclear how Trump will move ahead with the commission.
