The Guardian view on the US midterms and election interference: Trump’s attempted heist is already under way | Editorial

Recent polls suggest that Republicans are on track to lose the House and potentially the Senate in the upcoming midterms. Donald Trump, who refused to accept the 2020 democratic verdict, is now spreading a narrative of Democrats stealing seats through illicit votes. The January 6 insurrection has heightened the risk to American democracy, which has only worsened since then.

The Justice Department and Supreme Court appear to be cooperating with Republican efforts to undermine election results, having shown reluctance in the past to support Trump's most extreme demands. The dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, which prevented discriminatory practices, has left states responsible for implementing measures that could sway an election.

District lines have already been redrawn, and some courts have blocked unconstitutional executive orders attempting to claim election powers that belong to the states. However, Republican efforts are not dependent on success in every case; even a few thousand or hundred votes in crucial locations could significantly impact the outcome.

The barrage of manipulative tactics also serves to intimidate voters. Efforts to investigate alleged non-citizen voting in California and the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers near polling places, despite their proposed role, might instill fear in legitimate voters who might hesitate to draw attention to undocumented relatives.

Furthermore, false narratives of a stolen election are being propagated to gain traction following the vote. Trump has once again called for the prosecution of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola in Alaska, following reports that her campaign attempted to confuse voters by enlisting another individual with the same name as her Republican opponent, despite their denials.

The Republican governor of Alaska has not promised to certify the result if Peltola secures the win. Recruiting candidates with similar names is an old and deceptive tactic that may lead to criminal charges, though it isn't legally grounds for contesting the election result. Nonetheless, it acts as fuel for Republican claims that Democrats are engaging in election manipulation, when the actual threat to American democracy originates from Trump and his supporters.

Two crucial safeguards exist against these widespread and coordinated attempts. Firstly, despite enduring severe abuse and death threats, election officials – including Republicans – are diligently preparing to resist anti-democratic maneuvers. However, this resilience is undermined by the Republican strategy of controlling election boards, with an increasing number of election deniers taking office.

Secondly, the surge in early voting indicates that the underlying concern about threats to democracy is motivating citizens to participate and ensures their ballots will be counted. The effectiveness of democratic systems has been demonstrated in recent elections outside the US, notably in Brazil, where a far-right candidate supported by Trump was defeated.

A strong, decisive message from voters is more formidable than a narrow margin. The strongest defense of democracy lies in demonstrating that people genuinely care about it. The more definitive the verdict, the better the chances of preserving it.