Federal agents seized election materials from Georgia’s Fulton County Elections Hub last month—and regardless of why it happened, Americans should be paying attention.

There are two popular theories on what was behind the raid in which the Department of Justice seized about 700 boxes of election records and other materials related to the 2020 election. 

One is that President Trump still is in denial about his loss in the state and this was an attempt by his staff to placate him. The other–and far more troubling–theory is that the raid was a dry run for interference in the midterm elections.

Chaos May be the Goal

Regardless of which of the explanations is closer to the truth, it’s clear that the most powerful person in America remains very interested in voting that took place more than six years ago in Fulton County, the biggest county in a vital swing state. The urgency Trump feels became more apparent with reports this week that he ordered Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to participate in the raid and that the two spoke by phone shortly afterwards.

No matter what drove the raid, it is clear that the midterm elections are an increasingly hot topic. At least two other items suggest that the administration in general and Trump in particular are thinking ahead. 

The first is that Trump recently has mentioned “nationalizing” the elections in 15 states, presumably including Georgia. What to make of this depends upon your opinion of Trump’s cognitive functioning. One take is that he doesn’t understand that states conduct elections. It’s in the Constitution (Article I, Section 4, Clause 1). The other is that he knows exactly what he is doing–and is trying to create turmoil by pretending he doesn’t.

The other sign that the GOP is trying to manipulate the midterms is radical redistricting, which is also known as gerrymandering. The president and the GOP planned to gain seats in the House of Representatives by redrawing district boundaries to place a higher percentage of those likely to vote Democratic into fewer districts. This increases the number of districts with electorates likely to support Republican candidates.

We All Must Pay Attention

It seems, however, that the party may have shot itself in the foot. The plans were implemented when the Republican strength among non-white voters was at its zenith. The party’s popularity among Latinos and African-Americans has cratered since then, however, and many of those voters likely will return to the Democratic side. These GOP districts may end up being competitive. This is known as a “dummymander.”

Nine months before the midterm elections it seems that the biggest dangers are those that go under the radar screen. They include subtle changes to mail ballot postmarks rules, efforts to suppress the vote and limiting access. And, at the end of the day, the usual suspects will cast doubt on results they don’t like. 

David French, columnist for The New York Times (and a conservative) summed one scary vision of what may lie ahead in a column that posted this week: 

A president who doesn’t care about the law, who commands an obedient Congress and is supported by a radicalized base of tens of millions of people who believe his lies, represents a threat to the next election. I fear that millions of citizens are still too complacent. They aren’t aware of the peril we face.

Donald Trump, facing deeper investigation of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, impeachment(s) and civil and perhaps criminal exposure, aims to do whatever is necessary to protect himself. It’s vital that we pay attention and plan, no matter what, to get out and vote. If doing so wasn’t important, the GOP wouldn’t be making it so hard.