June 15, 1964: The Supreme Court requires states to equally appoint legislators according to population

Wednesday 15 June 2011

In the group of cases collectively known as Reynolds v. Sims, the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the act of drawing state legislative districts not equal in proportion to the state's population. The ruling aimed to give each vote the same weight. Chief Justice Earl Warren held in the majority opinion that states may not discriminate against citizens based on their geographic location (e.g., rural, urban) in the same way they may not discriminate based on race or economic status.