Trump encourages Election Day mayhem

With less than a month remaining in the presidential campaign, the country faces the specter of a chaotic Election Day. President Donald Trump has urged his supporters to “go in to the polls and watch very carefully” — a suggestion that can be interpreted as a call for greater participation in the long-established practice of election observing, or as an appeal for Trump supporters to stage rallies outside polling places, or both.

Whatever the president’s intent, election officials should prepare for the worst. Without some precautions in place, a large mobilization of partisans could cause significant disruption at voting sites and undermine confidence in the election itself.

The first priority is for states to enforce existing rules on poll watching, which has been part of the voting process since the birth of the republic. In most states, political parties are allowed to designate representatives to observe in-person voting, report irregularities, and check the accuracy of results.

State election officials should prepare for disruptions now. They should enforce laws that require poll watchers to be vetted before Election Day and impose limits on the number of observers allowed inside voting precincts.

Where possible, additional volunteers should be recruited to reduce voting wait times at sites where disputes among poll watchers are most likely to occur. States that ban firearms from voting sites should insist that poll watchers comply. To reinforce local law enforcement, governors should also be ready to deploy the National Guard to places where large demonstrations may impede access to polling sites.

That citizens may require such measures just to safely cast their ballots is unfortunate. But Trump has given ample evidence that he’s willing to strip voters of their rights to hold on to power. It’s up to responsible leaders from both sides to stop him from doing so.