Is the Supreme Court counting on getting a ninth justice in January?

Sen. Jeff Flake’s call to confirm Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court if Hillary Clinton wins next month has reignited the public debate over the stalled nomination — and the court’s own calendar suggests that the eight current justices may be watching to see if that is a real possibility.

In an interview Thursday with Politico, Flake — an Arizona Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee — said Republicans should move sooner rather than later if GOP nominee Donald Trump loses the presidential race.