washington political practice nearly old unite state manipulate boundaries legislative district help one party tighten grip power move call partisan gerrymander one supreme court never curb could soon change nine justices make legal fight republican-drawn electoral map wisconsin one first case hear 2017-2018 term begin next month rule case could influence american politics decades wisconsin officials point difficulty court craft workable standard partisan gerrymander violate constitutional protections opponents practice say limit urgently need note sophisticate technological tool enable dominant party devise new precision state electoral map marginalize large swathe voters legislative elections sense something go amiss american democracy effort rig rule game say michael li expert redistricting new york university school law brennan center justice gerrymander use dark art dark science justices hear arguments oct. wisconsin appeal low court rule find electoral map draw state republicans run afoul u.s. constitution map draw 2010 u.s. census enable win sizable majority wisconsin legislative seat despite lose popular vote statewide democrats party majority widen since justices must decide whether court say matter supreme court decades will invalidate state electoral map ground racial discrimination never draw simply give one party advantage justices never settle standard partisan gerrymander claim measure 2004 case justice anthony kennedy leave door open workable standard eventually find kennedy conservative sometimes side liberal justices court 5-4 conservative majority could cast decide vote wisconsin case federal three-judge panel rule 2-1 last november wisconsin redistricting plan violate u.s. constitution 14th amendment guarantee equal protection law first amendment right freedom expression association decades republicans democrats accuse gerrymander since 2010 republicans control redistricting coincide major seat advantage state legislatures brennan center say republicans accuse abuse republican voters sue district draw democratic lawmakers maryland appeal supreme court state federal legislative district boundaries reconfigured u.s. government conduct census every decade one contain number people typically party control state legislature republican national committee several conservative group back wisconsin lead republicans include senator john mccain 1996 presidential nominee bob dole ohio governor john kasich join critics argue partisan gerrymander distort democratic process social-science hodgepodge wisconsin republicans argue election result since redistricting plan pass 2011 reflect state political geography democrats concentrate cities like milwaukee madison republicans spread around state state also take issue metrics low court use determine significant partisan bias redistricting plan social-science hodgepodge state tell justices make impossible judge fairly determine electoral map unlawful plaintiffs social-science approach would sow chaos legislatively draw plan would immediately challenge federal court state say legal brief justices nicholas goedert virginia tech redistricting expert testify court wisconsin say metrics may inappropriate result change one election next goedert note large shift mood voters cause even highly bias electoral map flip partisan map tendency backfire party draw goedert say case begin 2015 dozen wisconsin democratic party voters sue state election officials claim redistricting law intend discriminate political beliefs create endure republican majorities urge justices either greenlight low court method decide case partisan gerrymander create government treat voters equally regardless viewpoint ways measure say danielle lang attorney plaintiffs justices rule court must stay highly political process voters lose lang say would way voters rein partisan gerrymander way voters take back control government graphic wisconsin state electoral map click tmsnrt.rs/2haopd5 fight electoral district boundaries head supreme court