The most important outcome in next week’s midterm elections may not be whether Democrats or Republicans come out on top. It may be whether both parties accept the results.

Judging by the most recent polls, Democrats are likely to make gains in Congress and may win control of one or both houses. Unfortunately, when asked whether he’ll abide by the results, the president has only said, “I will if they’re honest,” leaving voters to ponder his definition of “honest.” The administration also seems to be laying the groundwork for disputing results in several states.

One needn’t be paranoid to worry about what comes next. In 2020, fake claims about voter fraud and administrative manipulation were used to justify attempts to steal the election, which led to deadly mob violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The obvious lesson from that experience — election fabrications and denialism can lead to disaster — seems to have escaped some congressional Republicans, who continue to tolerate the White House’s efforts to meddle in state election administration and undermine voters’ trust.

Thankfully, most state officials have refused to go along. One expressed “major concerns” with the Republican National Committee’s attempts to alter her state’s ballot procedures. Another blasted the Department of Justice for “aggressive, unexpected, disruptive” conduct after it sent election monitors to polling sites and (allegedly) attempted to access voting machines. A third called the administration’s actions “gamesmanship” that “keeps me up at night.” And those were just the Republicans.

The courts, too, have thus far been effective checks against election chicanery, repeatedly rejecting the administration’s attempts to interfere with state procedures, including a convoluted and impractical executive order that would’ve given the U.S. Postal Service a broader role verifying compliance with new ballot-mail requirements. One hopes the administration’s latest gambit — asking the courts to block certification of Alaska’s Senate results if the Republican doesn’t win — will be rejected, too.

Yet, as 2021 proved, the courts can only head off so much danger before serious damage is done. Elected officials have their own crucial role to play in upholding election integrity, as Vice President Mike Pence did nearly six years ago.

Elections have always been disputed, of course. Tight races occasionally bring legal challenges, a common and acceptable practice that is every candidate’s right. But in the end, winners, losers and the public have nearly always accepted the results. The sooner that normalcy returns, the better.

The peaceful transfer of power is the sine qua non of democratic societies. It is the “miracle” that has made America possible, as another Republican president once noted. And it should be as universally celebrated and defended as motherhood and apple pie. On Election Day, voters will do their duty. Then it will be up to election administrators and members of Congress to do theirs.

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The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

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