President Donald Trump has ousted two Democratic members from the bipartisan federal Election Assistance Commission. The commission distributes federal grants to states, oversees the testing of voting systems, and maintains the national voter registration form.

Background

The move is seen as part of Trump’s efforts to reshape the US voting process. The White House stated that the President reserves the right to remove individuals who may not be aligned with the task of securing America’s elections.

The Election Assistance Commission has previously declined to change the national voter registration form to require documentation of an applicant’s US citizenship, as Trump had urged in a 2025 executive order. A federal judge blocked the order, ruling it exceeded the President’s authority.

Reaction

Critics accuse Trump of damaging voters’ trust and further politicizing the voting process. Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Joe Morelle, leading Democrats with election oversight responsibility, said Trump is trying to dismantle an independent guardrail of democracy designed to keep elections fair and secure.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.