Will democracy kill democracy?

The midterm elections are now two weeks away, and with election deniers on ballots across the country, it’s not a cliche nor hyperbole to say that democracy is on the ballot as well. The question is, do enough American voters realize that, or care? Will we choose those who would alter our choices the next time we vote? Starting today and running through Election Day, The Topline will spotlight a state where the choice is especially stark. We begin with Arizona, a state that flipped blue for Joe Biden in 2020 and where the outcome has been baselessly questioned ever since. Election deniers are running for the top three positions in the state with the power to potentially overturn an election outcome—governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Do you live in Arizona? Share your thoughts on the midterm races for publication in our next issue. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• UN to inspect Ukraine sites for ‘dirty bombs’ evidence —CNBC

• House progressives withdraw Ukraine letter after backlash —Axios

• Russian court denies Brittney Griner’s appeal of nine-year prison sentence —NBC News

• Rishi Sunak becomes UK Prime Minister amid growing economic and political crisis —The Wall Street Journal

• Supreme Court's Thomas temporarily blocks Graham election case testimony —Reuters

• Prosecutors pressure Trump aides to testify in documents case —The New York Times

• St. Louis school shooting suspect had nearly a dozen 30-round magazines: Police —ABC News

• Justice Dept. charges two Chinese citizens with spying for Huawei —The New York Times

• Five takeaways from Florida governor race debate between Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist —Tallahassee Democrat

• Fetterman and Oz meet for their only debate in high-stakes Senate race —ABC News

MAGA with manners 

Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor seeking to replace the term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, is considered a more palatable MAGA candidate than others running in this cycle. But however polished the Republican may seem, Lake has pushed the same false conspiracies about the 2020 presidential election throughout her campaign, earning her the warm endorsement of Donald Trump and a wave of corporate contributions. One of at least 20 Republicans running for governor nationwide who have either disputed or outright denied the results of the 2020 election, Lake would have the ability to sign or veto legislation related to election procedures, if elected. Her race against Arizona’s current secretary of state, Democrat Katie Hobbs, is rated a toss-up by The Cook Political Report. —CNBC

• “I will accept the results of this election if…” In an interview on ABC's "This Week,” Lake would not commit to accepting the outcome of her upcoming election if she loses to Hobbs. Lake, who has at times wielded a sledgehammer on the campaign trail, claiming it's for suspect electronic voting machines, alleged (wrongly) that "2,000 mail-in ballots were accepted by Maricopa County after Election Day.” She also suggested that early voting be restricted in the state. —ABC News

• The lying is having an effect. At least two voters have filed complaints of voter intimidation to Hobbs’ office in the past few days. One claimed "camo clad people" were taking pictures while an early ballot was dropped off outside the Maricopa County election headquarters. The other alleged that they were filmed and accused of “being a mule” while submitting their ballot to another drop box in Maricopa County. Two groups—an association for retirees and an organization for Latino voters—have even sought a temporary restraining order against another group they accuse of voter intimidation. —Axios

• It could get worse. Extremism experts are sounding the alarm about a “small but vocal subset of sheriffs” who they say are seeking to expand their role into election administration, without any lawful basis to do so. So-called “constitutional sheriff” groups are assisting in voter intimidation campaigns that can ultimately subvert free and fair elections. It’s happening already in Yavapai County, where prominent Arizona Oath Keeper Jim Arroyo and his “Yavapai County Preparedness Team” are teaming up with Sheriff David Rhodes on “Operation: Drop Box.” Lies never come without consequence, and Arizona is feeling the results. —AZ Mirror

MORE: Arizona to vote on introducing more voter ID requirements —The Guardian

Schmidt: The ‘Big Lie’ threatens the American experiment 

“[O]ur elections must reflect the will of the people. Therefore, democracy depends on losing candidates accepting their losses. This is essential. Without it, the foundation of our democracy will fold like a house of cards. … How do we break the cycle of lies that is destroying us? That is the thing about lies—they break the bonds of trust and can do so quickly. Restoring it can take a very long time. Hopefully our institutions will hold while we figure out how to answer that question. If we can’t, I am afraid this experiment will come to an end.” —Lynn Schmidt in The Fulcrum

Lynn Schmidt is a columnist and member of the editorial board at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a former fellow at the Renew America Movement.

MORE: Democrats’ midterms hurdle: Americans are getting used to eroded democracy —The Guardian

Midterms: There’s good news and bad

With Election Day just two weeks away, voter interest has reached an all-time high for a midterm election, which traditionally doesn’t see either the engagement or turnout that a presidential election brings. The tide started to turn in 2018, and this year, a majority of registered voters polled by NBC News say this election is “more important” to them than past midterms. That’s great news, right? Well, yes, but it comes at a cost. Eighty percent of both Democrats and Republicans believe the political opposition poses such a threat that they will destroy America as we know it if they win. Further, two-thirds of reliable Democratic and Republican voters say they’d still support their party’s political candidate, even if that person had a moral failing that wasn’t consistent with their own values. Polarization at its worst. —NBC News

MORE: Fears over fate of democracy leave many voters frustrated and resigned —The New York Times

Schwarz: The Utah model…coming to a state near you?

“Statewide Senate races offer a more broad electorate for independent candidates, but House districts can sometimes be gerrymandered to favor one party or another. Because primary voters tend to be more ideological, moderate general election voters often end up with more extreme candidates than they’d prefer. Cross-party coalition building could be a workaround. Should [congressional candidate Clint] Smith or [Senate candidate Evan] McMullin win their races, it could provide a playbook for future independent candidates to challenge incumbents without worrying about winning a major-party primary.” —D. Hunter Schwarz in Deseret News

D. Hunter Schwarz covers politics for the Deseret News national team and writes the visual politics newsletter Yello.

MORE: Side effect of divisive politics? Unaffiliated voter numbers rise —The Washington Post

Alaska’s cross-partisan love fest

For a glimpse at the more civil political environment we could have with election reform, look no further than Alaska. The state’s ranked-choice voting system is unlocking candidates from the shackles of partisanship and allowing them to build alliances across parties based on shared values. The most notable example is Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who have endorsed each other ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Both are facing Trump-backed candidates in tight races, with Murkowski seeking re-election against Republican Kelly Tshibaka, and Peltola seeking a full term against former Gov. Sarah Palin and other Republican challengers. Murkowski on Friday praised Peltola, the first Alaska Native congressional member in U.S. history, and said she would rank her first on her ballot. Peltola responded, "I'm voting for her, so we’re even-steven.” —Axios

MORE: EXPLAINER: How ranked-choice voting works in Alaska —News4Jax

Hyden: We have the tools to save democracy. We only have to use them

“Those who are blindly loyal to a party or political leader are more likely to believe that their own government is a threat if their party isn't firmly in power. Moreover, they are more inclined to believe easily disprovable falsehoods when disseminated within their ideological groups. This may explain why some partisans on both sides of the aisle see threats virtually everywhere. Some level of distrust and skepticism of government is healthy, but considering our democratic and constitutional forms as dangers to democracy is another thing. … Fortunately, a vast majority [of Americans] believes that we have the tools and abilities to peacefully right the ship within our system of government. Doing so and fostering trust won't be easy. But Americans can start by reaching across the aisle to bridge the ideological divide and ensuring that we don't amplify and promote extreme voices.” —Marc Hyden in The Newnan Times-Herald

Marc Hyden is the director of state government affairs at the R Street Institute.

MORE: John Austin & Elaine Dezenski: Revamping democracy is still possible —Foreign Policy

So Steve Bannon was finally sentenced for contempt of Congress. Prosecutors recommended six months imprisonment and a $200K fine; the judge considered the fact that Congress had resorted directly to a contempt charge instead of seeking to litigate in civil court as a factor moderating the sentence. 

What nonsense is this? The judge recognized Bannon's lack of remorse and likelihood of recidivism in weighing his sentence toward imprisonment. In cutting straight to the chase in recommending a contempt charge, the Jan. 6 committee merely recognized Bannon's posture before the judge did. There is no reason for leniency in Bannon's sentence. If anything, perhaps DOJ's recommended sentence was too light.

A year's imprisonment and comparable fine would have better served the purpose of deterrence against contempt of Congress by those who conspired against the Constitution, and whose contempt of Congress has been a tool of obstruction against such crimes. —Steve J., Pennsylvania

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Renew America Foundation.