Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to take up two cases related to the Electoral College concerning whether a state can bind a presidential elector to vote for the states' popular vote winner.

The court's decision to step in thrusts the justices into yet another high passion political fight in the heat of the 2020 presidential election. It comes as some predict that the volatile political atmosphere and disputes over redistricting could further emphasize the role of the Electoral College in the upcoming election.

Three presidential electors in Washington state who voted for Colin Powell in 2016 rather than Hillary Clinton were fined under state law.

In May, the Washington state Supreme Court held that the state could regulate the vote of an elector either directly or indirectly.

But in August, a federal appeals court ruled that a similar Colorado law was unconstitutional. There, one elector had cast his vote for then Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, causing the state to throw out his electoral vote. Two other Colorado electors who wanted to vote for Kasich then voted for Clinton.

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