We have two covers this week. In most editions we look at what might go wrong with America’s presidential election. With the country deeply divided and in the midst of an epidemic, many Americans worry that November could herald a constitutional crisis. We assess these concerns. If President Donald Trump loses by a wide margin, as the polls currently suggest, there will be no way to challenge the result plausibly. But if the election is close, and especially if the result appears to change after election night because of late-counted postal ballots, both candidates might declare victory and their supporters might take to the streets. Things could turn very ugly.

In our Asian editions we look at the legacy of Abe Shinzo, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, who is stepping down because of illness. His record is more impressive than his muted exit suggests. His passion was to change Japan’s constitution to put its armed forces on a proper legal footing. He failed in that. However, he tamed deflation, presided over a 71-month economic recovery, helped droves of women into the workplace and improved corporate governance. He rallied Asian democracies to counter China while somehow maintaining goodish relations with Xi Jinping. His record on climate change was dire. But he strengthened the office of prime minister, so his successor will have better tools to push through reforms of all kinds.