Four months from the US midterm election, US President Donald J Trump has fired the remaining three members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The sudden decision has now disabled the only federal agency whose sole mandate was election administration. This also comes at a time when Trump has sought to reshape federal voting rules.

Democrat lawmakers have called the firings an “attempt to increase its control over US elections”, which are the purview of the states; and as “undermining election integrity” ahead of November’s midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake.