The US election is on a knife edge. My trip to Georgia showed how easily it could end in tragedy | Oliver Laughland

Georgia's conspiracy theorists are still disputing the result of the last US presidential election. Will this year's be more peaceful? I looked for clues in the Atlanta suburbs

A few weeks ago, I found myself standing in the white marble atrium of Georgia's state capitol building, watching a scene that encapsulated much of the presidential race. To my right: a cluster of election conspiracy theorists who still believe Donald Trump won in 2020. To my left, a group of voting rights campaigners, singing an old spiritual popularised during the civil rights era.

They were here to observe last-minute efforts by hard-right officials to alter the way in which votes will be counted next month. The measures, many say, will sow doubt in this crucial swing state, creating chaos that is likely to favour Trump.