Administration Targets EAC, Jeopardizing Federal Election Support Ahead of 2026 Midterms — But Courts Blocked Key Actions

The Brennan Center for Justice clearly documents that the Trump administration's March 2025 executive order on elections directed the EAC, an independent federal agency, to take specific actions—and a federal court struck down that provision, ruling, 'That command exceeds the President’s authority.' Multiple federal courts have blocked other parts of the same order for violating the Constitution's Elections Clause, which reserves election rulemaking to states and Congress (per the Brennan Center analysis). The bundle does not include the specific case name, docket number, or a link to the court ruling, so those details cannot be verified from this bundle alone. What is clearly documented is the administration's broader pattern: the Brennan Center's interactive timeline describes a 'concerted strategy to undermine U.S. elections,' including attempts to 'rewrite election rules to burden voters,' 'usurp control of election systems,' target and threaten election officials, and retreat from the federal government's voter protection role. The practical risk is that the EAC's capacity to certify voting machines, distribute Help America Vote Act grants, and update voting system guidelines may be weakened, leaving states without vital technical support ahead of the 2026 midterms. The bundle does not include any reports of EAC commissioner firings on July 9, 2026, or any other specific date.