The Election Watchdogs Are Gone. Now What?

The bipartisan Election Assistance Commission has effectively been emptied just months before voters decide control of Congress. The commission does not count ballots or choose winners, but it helps set voting-system standards, certify equipment, and support election officials nationwide. So why remove the referees before the biggest political contest of the year? This could be about installing loyalists, pushing the SAVE Act through administrative power, or laying the groundwork to challenge the results if the election does not go their way. When the referees disappear before the game, everyone should pay attention.