The Supreme Court: Cooling Reapportionment

In a historic decision of 1964 (Reyn olds v. Sims), the Supreme Court held that all state legislators must be elected from districts of roughly equal population — thus ensuring equal representation for all voters. But what about the application of the one-man, one-vote rule to local governmental units such as school boards, city councils and boards of county supervisors? Last week, in a partial answer, the court unanimously held the line at the state level.

Speaking for the court in four cases, Justice William O. Douglas quoted a point from the Reynolds decision: "Political subdivisions of states—counties, cities...

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