The administration is moving to seize control of elections, with Trump dismissing the two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission, creating a Republican-majority leadership that critics say undermines the independent agency responsible for certifying voting systems and assisting election officials.

Context: The story centers on Trump pursuing broad federal influence over the 2026 midterms through the SAVE America Act and related executive steps that critics say aim to centralize control over voting under the banner of security.

Background on the Election Assistance Commission: Established after the 2000 election to support federal elections and certify voting systems, its leadership shake-up is viewed by critics as weakening an independent, bipartisan body.

The DOJ has sought state voter rolls and citizenship data, prompting lawsuits from voting-rights groups who warn the moves threaten privacy and could infringe on state sovereignty over elections.

The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship for federal registration, mandate photo ID to vote, and curb mail voting nationwide, actions critics say could disenfranchise eligible voters.

Trump has issued executive orders to create a federal citizen list, tighten mail-in voting, and involve the Postal Service in ballot distribution, with DOJ oversight expanding across several states.

Trump and allies argue that claimed voter fraud justifies reforms, while opponents say documented instances of non-citizen voting are exceedingly rare and that reforms risk suppressing eligible voters.

Officials and critics react: Democratic leaders and analysts characterize these moves as a power grab undermining state-led election administration, while some Republicans and election-law experts view observers and data requests as routine.

Judicial pushback is ongoing, with courts blocking or challenging aspects of the orders and data requests, and voting-rights groups continuing lawsuits over national voter lists and state data-sharing obligations.