On Tuesday, the Utah Supreme Court will hear the big challenge to Utah’s congressional districts.
The plaintiffs in the case — The League of Women Voters, Mormon Women for Ethical Government and a number of Utah residents — argue that the Legislature intentionally drew the congressional districts to split Salt Lake County into four parts in order to dilute the vote of the most liberal part of the state.
The “cracking” of the county was so precise, they argue, that it would have been nearly impossible for computers to have done a better job of splitting the vote. Attorneys for the Legislature and the Attorney General’s office will make the case that there is a logical reason to split the county — they want an urban-rural mix. And ultimately, there is nothing in state law or the state constitution that prohibits a partisan gerrymander.
The justices won’t rule on the matter from the bench, so it will likely be a few more months before they issue a decision.