As Election Day approaches in the US, the specter of a disputed outcome looms, with possible consequences for Trump supporters arrested and jailed for their role in the January 6 violent attack on the US Capitol.

For 821 nights, the families of those imprisoned for their role in the riot have made sure their names are heard as they held nightly vigils outside Washington DC’s main prison.

This is Freedom Corner USA, where the family and supporters of the “J6ers” – a name they wear with pride – come together to honor those they think are patriots, but who the legal system considers criminals – even insurrectionists.

Trump, impeached for his role in the attack, has promised to pardon his supporters if he is re-elected. Q+A’s Jack Tame attended one of the nightly vigils and spoke to those present.

Nicole Refitt’s husband, Guy Wesley Refitt, is serving a seven-year prison sentence.

She said, “We’re being degraded, degraded and 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 armor and zip ties. Prosecutors said he helped inflame the crowd into “an unstoppable force” even though he did not physically enter the building.

Fears are growing over attempts to overturn the election

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, which culminated in the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.

Rioters stormed the Senate chamber and ransacked the Capitol offices for hours. They beat and bloodied police, injuring about 140. Seven people died in the aftermath of the attack, including a rioter who was shot by police, and officers who later committed suicide.

Richard Pildes, a law professor at New York University School of Law who specializes in democracy issues, expects “huge lawsuits” if this year’s election margins are as close as polls suggest.

But the law professor’s biggest concern is about attempts “to destabilize the process, undermine the legitimacy of the process, and even stop the counting of votes,” especially now that some are inclined to allege foul play suspect.

He said: “As we know from 2020, if key states cannot be resolved for several days after Election Day, it is certainly possible.

“With so many people already ready to believe that something suspicious is going on, I think this could be a dangerous period.”

Pildes said that this time around, key actors are better prepared for integrity challenges and that reforms such as the Electoral Count Reform Act provide greater security.

However, the decentralized US system, with more than 10,000 jurisdictions organizing elections, has vulnerabilities.

He considers Supreme Court involvement unlikely, but guarantees protracted litigation if one or two states with few votes determine the outcome.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

Q+A with Jack Tame was created with the support of New Zealand On Air