"I was thinking more along the lines of preventative magic," Arthur says, sitting up and running a hand down his face. "Sylvia could have put a spell on the ballot boxes herself to keep them from being opened before it's time to count them. There could be a magical signature on the ballots themselves that you can't replicate."

He shrugs. "I'm not saying they've actually smartened up, but it's not impossible for them to have come up with something that makes this plan fail before it even begins."