Since the 2020 presidential election, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch have been erecting the scaffolding for a decision that could transform election practices nationwide.

During oral arguments Wednesday in a North Carolina case, they reinforced their positions and appeared to find some support from fellow conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The question is whether the trio’s most radical view – effectively giving state legislatures control of elections, without oversight from state judges – would prevail. ...