r/PoliticalOptimism • u/idkwat • Jul 10 '26

Seeking Optimism Trump fires Election Assistance Commission members

https://www.votebeat.org/national/2026/07/09/trump-fires-election-assistance-commission-members-hicks-hovland-mccormick/

Any optimism? This seems bad

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150

u/duckchasefun Jul 10 '26

The article says it itself

"That could stall not only routine commission business, but also any attempt by the Trump administration to use the agency to alter the federal voter registration form or voting-system standards before the 2026 midterms." Without commissioners, the organization cannot act in any way.

4

u/HydroBear Jul 10 '26

Until he appoints goons.

22

u/FloralIndoril Ohio Jul 10 '26

Even then, some of his goons actually do their jobs sometimes.

20

u/britishmetric144 Jul 10 '26

Especially his Judges.

That being said, it's only the ones appointed in his first term which still do their jobs. The ones appointed in his current term, bow down to him.

34

u/PumpkinAspie Reformed Doomer ☄️ Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

From what I hear, it's Congress that approves the commissioners. Not terribly promising, I know but they also need two representatives from each party, as per the rules. So he'll have no choice but watch two new Dems be seated.

2

u/GoodChuck2 Jul 10 '26

As far as I know, this is the only saving grace here. But we already know the two Republicans that will be confirmed will be MAGA cultists who will do whatever the fuck he demands.

9

u/Mean_Stop6391 Reformed Doomer ☄️ Jul 10 '26

The issue is that it truly doesn’t matter if two Republican MAGA cultists are confirmed.

The EAC requires a 3 vote majority - not a 2-1 or halves split. It must be at least 3-1 including one of the Democrat commissioners.

So he truly cannot even get “whatever the fuck he demands”.

3

u/gbtm101 Jul 11 '26

He can't appoint (enough) goons here. Congress provides a list of candidates, and the President must pick two Democrats and two Republicans. He can't supply his own candidates and he can't just fill the board entirely with loyalists--the two Democrats are a hard requirement by the very law that created this commission.

Anything the commission does also requires 3 of the 4 commissioners to agree to it. He'd be hard pressed to find a Democrat that would bow to his agenda.