What happens next in Trump's Supreme Court case over his eligibility.

Normally, it takes about three months after a plea before the Supreme Court makes a decision. The biggest rulings typically don't come until late June, no matter how early in the legislative session the cases were argued.

But the case presented Thursday is different, and the nation can expect a swift ruling.

The justices put the case on hold when they agreed to hear it, and the parties have asked for a quick decision, saying voters need to know quickly whether former President Donald J. Trump is eligible to to appear on the ballot paper. The question, Mr. Trump's lawyers told the justices, “urgently requires swift resolution from this court.”

Lawyers for the six Colorado electors who challenged Trump's eligibility asked the court to rule by Sunday, the day before the state mails out primary ballots. “If there is a decision on the merits before February 11, every Colorado voter would be aware of this court's decision before receiving their ballot and casting their primary vote,” the challengers told the court.

That deadline seems unrealistic. But the court could act before Super Tuesday on March 5, when Colorado and 14 other states hold their presidential primaries.

If the justices follow their usual practices, they will meet in the coming days to cast preliminary votes at a private conference. The senior judge in the majority will then transfer the majority opinion to a colleague or, just as likely, retain it. Draft opinions will be prepared and exchanged, which are likely to include agreements and divergences.

All of this will most likely happen at an uncomfortably fast pace, given the complexity of the legal issues and stakes involved. But there is precedent for moving quickly in a major election case. The court handed down its ruling in the case of Bush v. Gore, the 2000 decision that handed the presidency to George W. Bush, the day after the discussion about it had taken place.