For those wondering about the consequences of President Trump& #39;s efforts to sow distrust in voting and elections, here& #39;s a pretty significant one: It will help states sustain new restrictions on voting if they choose to implement them.

That& #39;s so because states don& #39;t need to prove they& #39;re combating fraud to justify voting restrictions. They don& #39;t really need to prove there& #39;s fraud at all. It& #39;s often enough to show they& #39;re addressing the public& #39;s fear of fraud and trying to create confidence in elections.

And the president& #39;s tactics -- and the utterly delusional conspiracies spreading online and on some of his favored TV channels -- have certainly worked. A third of voters think there was "a lot" of fraud in this election. Nearly all of Trump& #39;s supporters do. (From @YouGov.)

The people who are lying now to sow distrust in elections can turn around later and lament that people don& #39;t trust elections, and that& #39;ll help them win in court.