A clever plan to foil a 2024 coup attempt quietly advances

It may seem improbable, given adamant Republican opposition to legislation protecting voting rights, but a bipartisan group of senators is close to agreement on a separate, crucial way to protect our democracy: reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887.

That arcane law governs how Congress counts presidential electors. If senators resolve last-minute differences, a stolen 2024 election might become substantially less likely.

A serious threat to our democracy is this scenario: A state legislature or governor appoints a slate of presidential electors in defiance of the state’s popular vote, and one chamber of...