Top Trump Appointee on Federal Election Panel Resigns, Opening Door for More GOP Control

Donald Palmer, the top Republican appointed by Donald Trump to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), is stepping down by the end of this month, marking the first major leadership shakeup at the commission in over seven years. Palmer’s resignation comes at a critical moment for a body Trump has repeatedly tried to leverage in his efforts to control and restrict U.S. elections.

The EAC, created as an independent bipartisan agency to assist states with election administration, was designed to operate with limited presidential influence. By law, no more than two commissioners from the same party can serve simultaneously, and the president’s nominees require Senate confirmation. Despite this, Trump has sought to weaponize the commission to advance his anti-democratic agenda.

Palmer, appointed in 2019, has been a vocal supporter of voter restrictions that align with Trump’s broader campaign to suppress mail-in voting and other accessible voting methods. As EAC chair in 2025, he pushed to implement parts of Trump’s first anti-voting executive order, which included adding citizenship proof requirements to federal voter registration forms and threatening to withhold federal funds from states that resisted these measures. Courts have blocked most of these directives, but Palmer’s actions signal the ongoing threat to election integrity.

During a recent EAC Board of Advisors meeting in Washington, D.C., Palmer did not provide a clear reason for his departure. His term officially expired in December 2021, but like other commissioners, he continued serving past that date due to the White House failing to nominate successors and the Senate not confirming new appointees.

Palmer’s tenure was controversial. He has openly supported ending the acceptance of ballots after Election Day, a position he claimed was personal but that dovetails with GOP efforts to limit voting access. He also faced calls to resign after speaking at a confidential meeting with conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation, which advocate for new voting restrictions.

His exit leaves Christy McCormick, the EAC’s vice chair and the only other Republican commissioner, as the sole GOP voice on the commission. McCormick herself has come under scrutiny for spreading election conspiracies and is currently under investigation.

Meanwhile, Democracy Forward, a pro-democracy legal group, recently sued the EAC to obtain communications between commissioners and election deniers or groups pushing voting restrictions. The EAC’s delay in responding to Freedom of Information Act requests has raised further concerns about transparency and accountability.

Palmer’s resignation is more than a routine personnel change. It represents another opening for Trump to stack the EAC with loyalists who will continue attempts to erode voting rights and democratic norms. As the commission struggles with leadership vacancies and legal challenges, the integrity of U.S. elections hangs in the balance.