Trump, Erdogan Strengthen U.S.-Turkey Ties at NATO Summit in Ankara

Iran Buries Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Successor Mojtaba Remains Out of Public View

Houston ICE Shooting Sparks Protests, Demands for Independent Investigation

Russia Strikes Kyiv With Ballistic Missiles as Ukraine Seeks More Air Defense Support

Greenlanders Reject Trump’s Renewed Push for U.S. Control of Arctic Island

Ukraine Secures U.S. Patriot Missile Production Deal, Zelenskiy Says

US Reaffirms Support for Tibetan Rights After Self-Immolation Near UN

Zelenskiy Confirms Russian Strike Hit Ammunition Depot Near Kyiv, Criminal Probe Launched

Venezuela Earthquake Health Risks Rise as Disease Monitoring Intensifies

UN Says Ukraine Civilian Casualties Reached Highest Monthly Level Since 2022

ASEAN to Hold Landmark Myanmar Talks as Bloc Seeks Progress on Civil War

ICC Says Darfur War Crimes Probe Reaches Breakthrough in Sudan Investigation

Trump Swings From Criticism to Praise at NATO Summit, Easing Alliance Tensions

Trump Approves Patriot Missile License for Ukraine, Boosting Air Defense Efforts

Judge Orders $5.8 Million Payment to E. Jean Carroll After Trump Loses Appeal Bid

Iran Buries Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Imam Reza Shrine as Successor Mojtaba Remains Out of Public View

Gordie Howe Bridge to Open July 27 After U.S.-Canada Reach Toll Revenue Agreement

Trump Election Commission Firings Follow White House Push for Voting System Changes. Source: By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The White House spent months exploring ways to bypass the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and use emergency powers to accelerate changes to voting systems before President Donald Trump dismissed the agency's leadership this week, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Officials involved in the talks said some administration figures believed the bipartisan election agency was moving too slowly to update voting machine guidelines, revise the national mail voter registration form to include proof-of-citizenship requirements, and advance other election-related priorities.

On Thursday, Trump removed the EAC's two Democratic commissioners, while the agency's only Republican commissioner resigned. A fourth commissioner had already left in April, leaving the commission without a quorum. Although the agency can continue certifying voting equipment, conducting research, and distributing federal election grants, it cannot approve new policies or voting procedure changes.

The White House defended its broader election strategy, saying the administration has worked with federal agencies and local officials to strengthen election security and prevent fraud ahead of the November midterm elections. It also cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential authority to remove officials from independent agencies.

Democratic lawmakers sharply criticized the dismissals, arguing they threaten the independence of the federal body responsible for certifying voting systems. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the move as an effort to increase federal influence over elections before voters head to the polls.

According to sources, White House officials last year reviewed an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recommendation to declare a national emergency and establish a federal task force that could require states to address vulnerabilities in voting systems without relying on the EAC. The proposal was never implemented.

The recommendation followed an ODNI investigation into voting machines seized in Puerto Rico. Sources said officials identified potential vulnerabilities they believed could exist elsewhere, although the report was never released publicly.

Election experts noted that updating voting system standards is intentionally a lengthy process because of the complexity of election technology and extensive public review requirements. Meanwhile, Congress allocated $45 million to the EAC in fiscal year 2026 for election system improvements. Since 2018, the agency has distributed more than $1.4 billion in grants to help states strengthen election administration.

Gold is meant to be a ‘safe haven’ in uncertain times. Why is it crashing amid a war?

Wall Street Slides as Iran War Uncertainty, Oil Surge, and AI Fears Rattle Markets

SpaceX IPO Filing Expected This Week as Valuation Could Surpass $75 Billion

Stagflation Shadows: U.S. Manufacturing Shines as Services Slump to 11-Month Low

Scarcity and Strife: Bitcoin Hits Historic Milestone Amid Geopolitical Tremors

Strategy's Multi-Billion Dollar Bitcoin Accumulation: A 2026 Milestone

Lindsey Graham Urges China to Pressure Russia Into Ukraine Peace Talks

FxWirePro- Major Crypto levels and bias summary

FxWirePro- Major Pair levels and bias summary

FxWirePro: GBP/USD climbs to one-month high as dollar dips

FxWirePro- Major Pair market sentiment (CCI-ADX-EMA) setup

Standard Chartered Stays Bullish on Bitcoin

Robinhood Chain Surges Past $70M in Bridged ETH With Explosive 70x Weekly Growth

Biggest MiCA-Regulated Exchanges by Spot Liquidity

ETHUSD Bullish Momentum: Follows BTC Above All EMAs, Buy Dips Near $1750 Targeting $2300

BTCUSD Bullish Breakout: Clears 800-EMA After Consolidation, Buy Dips Toward $74,900

Disclaimer: EconoTimes provides references and links to selected blogs and other sources of economic and market information as an educational service to its clients and prospects and does not endorse the opinions or recommendations of the blogs or other sources of information. Clients and prospects are advised to carefully consider the opinions and analysis offered in the blogs or other information sources in the context of the client or prospect's individual analysis and decision making. None of the blogs or other sources of information is to be considered as constituting a track record. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and EconoTimes specifically advises clients and prospects to carefully review all claims and representations made by advisors, bloggers, money managers and system vendors before investing any funds or opening an account with any Brokerage. Any news, opinions, research, data, or other information contained within this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment or trading advice. EconoTimes expressly disclaims any liability for any lost principal or profits without limitation which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information. As with all such advisory services, past results are never a guarantee of future results.