Election officials who back Trump’s “Big Lie” stir concern in swing states

Nearly half or 16 of 35 county election boards have at least one member who has expressed pro-Trump skepticism about the electoral process.

That includes theories that Trump won the 2020 election, doubts about the integrity of voting machines or beliefs about widespread fraud in mail ballots.

Trump 's camp says the former president is focused on protecting “legal votes”.

Much has changed since Trump ’s poorly organized legal campaign to overturn Biden 's victory.

The Republican National Committee is now controlled by Trump loyalists, including a daughter-in-law.

The prevalence of election skeptics in positions of authority over the vote reflects how deeply the "Big Lie " that the 2020 contest was stolen from Trump has permeated the party.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said his office would sue any of his state's 67 counties if they declined to certify their results on time.

Republicans who have openly questioned the honesty of the election system sit on canvassing boards of some of the state’s largest counties.

Michigan 's Democratic secretary of state said she is concerned that some canvass board members might choose not to certify the results, both to gum up the process and fuel a narrative that the election was marred by fraud.