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Voting & Elections
Baker v. Carr
Decided: 1962
In brief
Held that legislative redistricting is subject to judicial review, opening the door to 'one person, one vote.'
The Court's ruling in depth
Tennessee had not reapportioned its legislature since 1901, producing wildly unequal districts. The Court held such malapportionment claims justiciable under the Equal Protection Clause, rejecting the argument that they were nonjusticiable 'political questions.' Chief Justice Warren later called Baker the single most important decision of his tenure — it opened federal courts to redistricting litigation and led directly to Reynolds v. Sims.