Trump allies could use midterms ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn

Key Points:

• Election experts warn that the period immediately after the November midterm elections is vulnerable to attempts by the Trump administration to disrupt results, especially as legal efforts to restrict mail-in voting have been blocked by the Supreme Court.
• Concerns focus on the "counting window," when votes are tallied over days or weeks in some states, a time when unfounded claims of fraud or foreign interference could be amplified to challenge outcomes unfavorable to Trump and his allies.
• State election officials are working to educate the public on the vote-counting process to prevent manufactured controversies, emphasizing that early voting remains a secure and effective way to ensure votes count.
• Despite improved election security and audits nationwide, the federal government has reduced staffing and funding for election cybersecurity at CISA, limiting technical support to states amid ongoing claims of foreign threats and voter fraud lacking evidence.
• Federal agencies continue controversial efforts to obtain voter-roll data and investigate alleged unlawful voting, actions critics say fuel narratives undermining confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2024 elections.