Unanimous vote protects representation for non-eligible voters

Source: The Washington Post

“The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld the principle of setting legislative districts based on total population, not just the number of eligible voters.”

Conservative interest sought legislative districts and their respective representatives to be determined by the number of eligible voters – not by the total population of the area. This would exclude all non-voters from being represented, such as a children, legal and undocumented immigrants, prisoners and the disenfranchised; this would also ultimately shift power to the hands of districts with majority conservative interests, and away from non-voting Hispanic populations. Two Texan residents presented the proposal on the premise that it would create districts that would represent an equal number of populations.

“As history, precedent, and practice demonstrate, it is plainly permissible for jurisdictions to measure equalization by the total population of state and local legislative districts,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said for the unanimous court decision, that ruled to uphold the principle of creating districts based on populations.

Justice Ginsburg spoke on the need to have everyone represented as everyone has important stakes in policy debates, and furthermore the practice promotes equality.

Read full story at: The Washington Post

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News