washington supreme court justices clash tuesday whether court curb long-standing u.s. political practice draw electoral map entrench one party power conservative anthony kennedy likely cast decide vote nine justices hear hour arguments major vote right case wisconsin involve practice know partisan gerrymander rule due june could impact u.s. elections decades set standards electoral district lay extreme partisan aim deprive voters constitutional right kennedy sometimes side court liberal justices big rule definitively tip hand would rule pose tough question wisconsin lawyers signal aversion electoral district draw give one party lopsided advantage elections liberal justices voice sympathy democratic voters challenge republican-drawn legislative map wisconsin violation constitutional right conservative justices express doubt whether court intervene highly political dispute question challengers legal stand bring case court 5-4 conservative majority gerrymander practice begin two centuries ago involve manipulate boundaries legislative district benefit one party diminish another democratic republican critics argue gerrymander become extreme guide precise voter data mapmaking technology distort democratic process let politicians choose voters rather way around legislative district 50 u.s. state redrawn every decade national census reflect population change represent individual components representative democracy kennedy press erin murphy lawyer wisconsin state senate whether would unconstitutional state law contain explicit provision favor one party another murphy concede would federal three-judge panel rule 2-1 last november wisconsin redistricting plan violate constitution first amendment right freedom expression association 14th amendment guarantee equal protection law extent marginalize democratic voters wisconsin appeal rule high court 2004 rule another case kennedy part conservative colleagues suggest partisan gerrymander go far violate constitution court may step workable standard decide could find gerrymander distasteful conservative justice samuel alito say alito voice doubt whether metrics use measure gerrymander draw social science endorse low court manageable conservative chief justice john roberts call metrics sociological gobbledygook conservative justice neil gorsuch say court-approved formula identify unconstitutional gerrymander would hard achieve compare various standards propose spice steak dinner court suppose pinch pinch ask voice doubt constitution authorize court step challengers receive muscular support time terminate gerrymander republican former california governor arnold schwarzenegger star terminator movies tell rally outside courthouse redistricting typically do party control state legislature gerrymander usually accomplish concentrate voters tend favor particular party small number district reduce statewide vote power call pack scatter others district number small majority call crack supreme court decades will invalidate state electoral map ground racial discrimination never draw simply partisan advantage roberts raise concern high court approve reject future state electoral map suggest public could start view court political body go cause serious harm status integrity decisions court eye country roberts add liberal justices wonder would happen voters partisan gerrymander make election result preordain incentive voter exercise vote justice ruth bad ginsburg ask become precious right vote wisconsin electoral map draw 2010 u.s. census enable republicans win sizable majority wisconsin legislative seat despite lose popular vote statewide democrats party majority since expand plaintiffs attorney paul smith urge justices act let go say 2020 go festival copycat gerrymander like country never see institution unite state ... solve problem smith add justice kennedy hot seat major vote right case