By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats are gearing up to spend record sums on lawyers, advertising and other protect-the-vote efforts before the 2022 midterm elections, hoping to stave off Republican efforts they believe will choke off access to the ballot box. Worried that a spate of more restrictive voting laws adopted by Republican-controlled states will keep Democrats from registering their votes, donors big and small are filling their party’s coffers. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) took in $157 million last year, the most for a year without a presidential election, …