What 1966 landmark case established the 'one person, one vote' principle for legislative districts?

Before 1964, many states had legislative districts with vastly unequal populations. This often meant that rural areas, with fewer residents, held disproportionate power in state legislatures compared to rapidly growing urban centers. For example, in Alabama, some districts had populations forty-one times larger than others, yet each elected the same number of representatives. This system effectively diluted the votes of citizens in more populous districts, undermining the democratic ideal of equal representation.

The United States Supreme Court's 1964 decision in *Reynolds v. Sims* fundamentally changed this landscape. The Court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires both houses of state legislatures to be apportioned based on population, establishing the "one person, one vote" principle. Chief Justice Earl Warren famously declared that "legislators represent people, not trees or acres," emphasizing that the right to vote is fundamental and must be equally protected for all citizens regardless of where they reside within a state.

This landmark ruling had a profound impact across the country, forcing states to redraw their legislative district lines to ensure roughly equal populations in each district. While the decision sparked debate and even unsuccessful attempts to amend the Constitution, it solidified the judiciary's role in safeguarding fair representation and significantly advanced the principle of electoral equality in American democracy. The legacy of *Reynolds v. Sims* continues to shape discussions about redistricting and the ongoing pursuit of equitable voting rights.