Equal Protection Clause Flashcards
One Person, One Vote vs. Election “at Large”
EPC prohibits state dilution of the right to vote, so that when a governmental body establishes voting districts for the election of representatives, the number of persons in each district may not vary significantly.
At-large election: Representatives are elected by all of the qualified voters in the city in an at-large system (rather than having the voters of each individual district select one board member apiece).
The Equal Protection Clause prohibits state dilution of the right to vote, so that when a governmental body establishes voting districts for the election of representatives, the number of persons in each district may not vary significantly. This is known as the principle of “one person, one vote.” This principle applies to almost every election where a person is being elected to perform normal governmental functions (e.g., an election for trustees for a junior college district). However, the principle of one person, one vote generally is INAPPLICABLE where there is an at-large system of election (except where the system is adopted for discriminatory purposes).
At-large election: Representatives are elected by all of the qualified voters in the city in an at-large system (rather than having the voters of each individual district select one board member apiece).
