Joan Esposito is joined by Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners. 

The discussion examined Hicks’s dismissal from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, election administration concerns, and ways voters can protect their ballots. Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- Hicks said he was terminated effective immediately on July 9 after 11 years on the commission and more than 30 years in federal service.
- He said he was given no reason and is evaluating whether the termination was unlawful, including possible litigation or reinstatement.
- He described the commission as an independent advisory body that helps states administer elections.
- Hicks opposes sending FBI, ICE, or uniformed troops to polling places absent a specific crime or operational need, citing risks of intimidation and wasted resources.
- He advised voters to submit mail ballots early, use official drop boxes when available, or vote in person if they are uncertain about mail voting.
- Provisional ballots remain available under the Help America Vote Act, but voters should understand and resolve any curing requirements.

Key quote: "It's absolutely illegal to send a law enforcement officer to a polling place unless there is some sort of crime being committed, and the crime of "Well, we think that there are illegal people voting here" is not a crime that they should be sending folks to. It's a waste of taxpayer dollars. It's a waste of resources.  And let me be clear on one thing: In 2020, the National Guard was in polling places because we had a national pandemic and we had a dearth of poll workers who needed to be there to help with the administration of elections. But there was one thing that was perfectly clear: Those folks were out of uniform and they were basically doing what any other American could do, and that is serve as a poll worker to ensure that the the election went off smoothly. And it did go off as smoothly as it could during a national pandemic. But to send troops in is not something that should be done." 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

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