If U.S. election winds up in Supreme Court, Ginsburg's death will loom large

A lighted candle is held during a vigil following the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., September 19, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

(Reuters) - The death of liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday could spell bad news for Democrats if a legal battle over the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election reaches the high court, as it did in 2000.

If President Donald Trump, a Republican, is able to install a conservative replacement in time, the new justice could help resolve any dispute in favor of the president - an outcome that would deepen the country's partisan divide and threaten the court's reputation as an independent arbiter, some legal experts said.