Changes

== "One man, one vote" ==

== "One man, one vote" ==

For 200 years, including prior to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, State legislatures have decided for themselves how they would carve their own legislative districts at the State level.  Nearly all states (other than Nebraska) have a "bicameral" legislature consisting of a house of representatives (call the "Assembly" in New Jersey), and a state senate.  The internal division of those districts within a State had long been considered a matter for only the state legislature to decide, without any interference by the federal government.  For example, should Newark be included in the same district as Morristown?  Should senate districts be based on county lines, or on population?  The U.S. Senate is not based on population, but on State boundaries.

For 200 years, including prior to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, State legislatures have decided for themselves how they would carve their own legislative districts at the State level.  All states (except Nebraska) have a "bicameral" legislature consisting of a house of representatives (call the "Assembly" in New Jersey), and a state senate.  The internal division of those districts within a State had long been considered a matter for only the state legislature to decide, without any interference by the federal government.  For example, should Newark be included in the same district as Morristown?  Should senate districts be based on county lines, or on population?  The U.S. Senate is not based on population, but on State boundaries.

In a decision having vast significance, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that States must draw their districts to comply with a rule of "one man, one vote" (or "one person, one vote").  This means that districts must be drawn such that the population size of each district is nearly equal.  This is called "one man, one vote" because it requires that the relative weight of each man's vote is the same no matter where he lives in the State.  His vote cannot be crowded out by living in a district drawn to have a bigger population than other districts in the State.

In a decision having vast significance, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that States must draw their districts to comply with a rule of "one man, one vote" (or "one person, one vote").  This means that districts must be drawn such that the population size of each district is nearly equal.  This is called "one man, one vote" because it requires that the relative weight of each man's vote is the same no matter where he lives in the State.  His vote cannot be crowded out by living in a district drawn to have a bigger population than other districts in the State.