A five-judge panel is ready to draw new boundaries for Minnesota congressional and legislative districts if necessary.

The panel met Tuesday to hear from lawyers representing people who are trying to influence the once-a-decade process through litigation and their own proposed maps. The judges heard arguments for and against four separate proposals.

The differences among the four plans are detailed and sometimes hard to detect without a close look. They range from adding or subtracting entire counties from congressional districts to dividing cities or even neighborhoods into different legis...