For Donald Trumpthe outcome of Tuesday’s election is about more than winning the White House — it’s also about the future of the criminal records that put him at risk of spending time behind bars.

The stakes could hardly be higher. If Trump wins, he could exercise the vast powers of the US presidency to shield him from ongoing federal prosecutions. If he loses, he faces the threat of being sentenced to prison in New York later this month.

Donald Trump during his campaign closing event in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5.

Photographer: Sarah Rice/Bloomberg

Trump has already made it clear that, as president, he would move quickly to shut down the federal…