The court already has heard a challenge from Wisconsin Democrats, who challenged a legislative redistricting drawn by the state’s Republican leaders. [Supreme Court takes up Wisconsin partisan gerrymandering claims]The cases could reshape the way American elections are conducted. It is unclear why the court thought it needed another case, and it had previously declined to immediately take up the Maryland case Benisek v. Lamone. In the Wisconsin case, Gill v. Whitford, the court was considering a different constitutional issue, equal protection. While in the Wisconsin case a three-judge panel ruled that the state’s entire legislative map be thrown out, the Maryland case involves a single congressional district.

Source: Washington Post December 08, 2017 22:54 UTC