Judge Seabright tells Thomas that requiring a new plan be drawn up could take months or even a year.

That kind of delay, the judge said, would “throw the (election) system into chaos — something this court won’t do,” noting it would “undermine the integrity of the process.”

Thomas says the plaintiffs aren’t trying to do that.

His motion says there are previous districting plans the commission drew up — ones that extracted less non-resident military personnel — that the plaintiffs see as a better plan than the existing one.

But, Thomas said, the judges could address the issue for future elections.

McKeown likened swapping plans versus starting over to moving people around on a chess board versus getting a whole new chess board.

— Nanea Kalani