The White House explored options to bypass a bipartisan federal elections agency and use emergency powers to force changes to voting systems before US President Donald Trump removed the agency’s leadership this week, a Reuters report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Among the issues the Trump administration expressed displeasure with the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) were:
- Delay in updating guidelines for states on voting machines
- Refusal to require proof of citizenship on your National Mail voter registration form
- Failure to address the administration’s election priorities
On Thursday, Trump fired the EAC’s two Democratic members, while its only remaining Republican commissioner resigned. The fourth commissioner had stepped down in April.
This leaves the agency operational but without a quorum and unable to approve new business or changes to election procedures.
The White House said Friday the administration is working to “protect elections from fraud and abuse” ahead of the November midterm elections.
Experts say the move is unlikely to have an impact in the medium term, but comes after a recent Supreme Court ruling that the President can fire independent agency board members without reason.
Trump repeatedly calls for nationwide changes to voting rules
According to Reuters, White House officials last year reviewed a proposal from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declare a national emergency and establish a federal task force to address alleged vulnerabilities in voting systems without involving the EAC.
The proposal was never implemented.
The report also said officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the White House met with commission leaders to discuss their concerns, including widely debunked claims of fraud during the 2020 election, which Trump lost.
Trump, who continues to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him, has repeatedly called for nationwide changes to voting rules despite the US Constitution giving states primary authority over elections.
Democrats condemned the move against the Election Commission
Democrats condemned the move as an attempt to increase White House influence over elections.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the shootings as a “brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast in the midterms.”
Created in 2002 under President George W. Bush, the EAC:
- distributes federal grants to the states,
- oversees testing of voting systems and
- Maintains national voter registration forms
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Edited by: Shawn Sinico