CA Latino Legislative Caucus Chairman Luis Alejo urges U.S. Supreme Court to uphold principle of ‘one person, one vote’

December 07, 2015

SACRAMENTO - As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a case that challenges the principle of “one person, one vote,” Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), chairman of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, issued the following statement in support of retaining the current method of drawing elective districts that has been in place since 1964:

“More than 50 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the principle of ‘one person, one vote,’ and the Court must continue to uphold this principle to ensure that everyone is represented equally. Elected officials represent all people in their districts, not just those who vote. The Court itself said in the 1964 ruling that ‘legislators represent people, not trees or acres.’ The challenge to this long-established principle is a thinly veiled attempt to weaken the power of minority voters. The nation’s highest court must not be a party to this.”

The name of the case that challenges the principle of “one person, one vote,” is Evenwell v. Abbott. The case originates from Texas, where a couple of voters filed suit to challenge the one-person, one-vote concept, arguing that legislative districts should be drawn based on registered voters only. A federal court panel in Austin originally rejected the challenge, but the plaintiffs appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court. The Court is set to hear arguments on the case on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

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Contact: Paco Torres / Paco.Torres@asm.ca.gov / (916) 319-2030