In most election cycles, youd probably never learn Bee Nguyens name. But next year, the Georgia state legislator whos now running for secretary of state will be one of just a handful of people in the world who can ensure America has a free and fair presidential election in 2024.

Former President Donald Trump and much of the Republican Party have declared open war on American democracy, maneuvering to overturn any results that are unfavorable to them, just as they unsuccessfully attempted in 2020. In particular, the former president and his allies have launched an all-out effort to take over the machinery of the U.S. electoral system by installing allies in positions of power at the state and local levels.

That certainly happened in Georgia last fall. After now-President Joe Biden was declared the winner in the state, Trump and his allies tried to sway virtually every state official who could potentially change the result. They pushed for an audit of votes in Cobb County, which didnt turn up any irregularities. Trump personally lobbied the Republican governor, and when that didnt work, the Republican secretary of state. The Trump Department of Justice cajoled and threatened the U.S. attorney in an attempt to get him to embrace false election theft claims; he resigned instead.

As a possible last resort, a publicist for Kanye West showed up at the home of a Georgia election worker who was the subject of viral election theft conspiracy theories and attempted to frighten her into validating them. (West was a close ally of Trump, though its not clear who put his publicist up to this grim task).

It was a methodical attempt to conduct a coup in Georgia. They were trying to find the weakest link in the chain of democratic transfer to break it, MSNBCs Chris Hayes said last week. And they kept trying each different link in the chain.

Now, theyre trying it via the ballot box. Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) is running for secretary of state after voting twice in Congress last year to contest the presidential election results. He has received Trumps endorsement, and if he wins, will control much of the election machinery in the state.