As election day in the US approaches, the spectre of a contested result looms, with potential consequences for the Trump supporters arrested and imprisoned for their role in the violent January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
For 821 nights and counting, the families of those imprisoned for their roles in the riot have made sure their names ring out, holding nightly vigils outside Washington DC's main prison.
This is Freedom Corner USA, where the family and supporters of the "J6ers" — a moniker they wear with pride — gather to honour those they believe are patriots, but whom the justice system has found to be criminals — insurrectionists even.
Trump, impeached for his role in the attack, has pledged to pardon supporters if re-elected. Q+A's Jack Tame visited one of the nightly vigils and spoke to the attendees.
Nicole Refitt's husband, Guy Wesley Refitt, is serving a seven-year-sentence.
She said: "We get downgraded, degraded, belittled quite a bit, especially here in DC. And, you know, the American people stood up for something that day."
While at the Capitol on January 6, Refitt's husband was armed with a handgun, body armour and zip ties. Prosecutors said he helped ignite the crowd into "an unstoppable force", though he did not physically enter the building.
Fears grow about attempts to overturn election
The academic and electoral integrity expert spoke to Q+A's Jack Tame. (Source: 1News)
In 2020, the former president prematurely declared victory from the White House. He launched a legal and political effort to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden that culminated in the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
Rioters stormed the Senate chamber and ransacked Capitol offices for hours. They beat and bloodied law enforcement, leaving roughly 140 injured. Seven people died in the wake of the attack, including a rioter shot by police, and officers who later killed themselves.
Richard Pildes, a New York University School of law professor specialising in democracy issues, expects "tremendous court battles" if this year's election margins are as close as polls suggest.
But the legal professor's greater worry has been over efforts "to destabilise the process, to undermine the legitimacy of the process, even to stop the vote counting process", especially with some primed to suspect foul play.
A ceremony was held today to honour law enforcement who defended it during the January 6 attack last year. (Source: 1News)
He said: "As we know from 2020, if the key states can't be resolved for a number of days after election day, which is certainly possible.
"With so many people primed already to believe something suspicious is going on, I think that could be a dangerous period of time."
Pildes said key actors are more prepared this time for integrity challenges and reforms like the Electoral Count Reform Act provide more security.
However, the decentralised US system, with over 10,000 jurisdictions administering elections, has vulnerabilities.
He considers Supreme Court involvement unlikely but guaranteed prolonged litigation if one or two states with close votes determine the outcome.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
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