By Bo Tefu, California Black Media | Oakland Post
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, is condemning the Trump administration’s dismissal of the Democratic members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), calling the move an attack on the nation’s election system just months before the 2026 midterm elections.
Padilla joined U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), ranking member of the House Committee on Administration, in criticizing the decision, which also coincided with the resignation of the commission’s remaining Republican member. The departures leave the four-member federal agency without any commissioners less than four months before Election Day.
The EAC was established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 to serve as an independent, bipartisan agency that provides guidance, resources and support to state and local election officials. By law, no more than two commissioners may belong to the same political party, and commissioners continue serving until their successors are confirmed and sworn into office.
Padilla and Morelle argued that removing the Democratic commissioners undermines the agency’s independence and weakens federal support for election administrators across the country.
“Here we go again. President Trump is trying to dismantle yet another independent guardrail of our democracy designed to keep elections fair and secure,” Padilla and Morelle said in a joint statement. “Purging commissioners just months before the midterm elections and further gutting support for our state and local elections officials is a blatant part of his plan to politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous election interference.”
The lawmakers continued, “Trump continues to double down on his efforts to erode trust in our elections, undermine independent oversight, and further his Administration’s attempt to ‘take over’ elections. Americans deserve elections that are safe, secure, and run free from political interference — not overseen by partisan loyalists and election deniers beholden to Trump.”
The EAC was created in response to widespread concerns about election administration following the 2000 presidential election. The agency distributes federal election funds, develops voluntary voting system guidelines, certifies voting equipment, and provides best practices and technical assistance to election officials nationwide.
Under federal law, commissioners are nominated by the president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and may serve up to two four-year terms. The statute also specifies that commissioners remain in office after their terms expire until their successors have been appointed and have taken office.
The Trump administration has not publicly detailed the legal basis for the dismissals. The removal of the Democratic commissioners leaves the EAC without a quorum or leadership as election officials across the country continue preparations for the November 2026 midterm elections.
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