The nationwide redistricting arms race is growing increasingly unpredictable. Courts are knocking down maps. Republicans are breaking with President Donald Trump. Democrats are finding new states where they will try to pick up seats.

But there is one constant that will soon define the final contours of the redistricting battle: the calendar.

States have clear filing deadlines for candidates to get on the ballot for primary elections. Legislatures have the ability to change both these deadlines and the dates of the primaries — many did in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. If state legislators decided to take the highly partisan route of a mid-decade gerrymander instead of waiting for the regular assessment that happens every 10 years, they would probably be more than willing to also p

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