Reynolds v. Sims

law case

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July 13, 2026

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Reynolds v. Sims (1964) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of "one person, one vote" for state legislative districts. The Court ruled that both houses of a bicameral state legislature must be apportioned based on population. This decision overturned the long-standing practice of overrepresenting rural areas and underrepresenting urban and suburban areas in state legislatures.12

Prior to Reynolds v. Sims, the Supreme Court had been reluctant to intervene in apportionment cases, viewing them as "political thickets". However, the precedent set by Baker v. Carr (1962) paved the way for Reynolds v. Sims by holding that each vote should carry equal weight regardless of the voter's residence. As a result of these decisions, nearly every state legislature was reapportioned, shifting political power from rural to urban areas.12

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Baker v. Carr
…precedent, the court held in Reynolds v. Sims (1964) that both houses of bicameral legislatures had to be apportioned according to population. It remanded numerous other apportionment cases to lower courts for reconsideration in light of the Baker and Reynolds decisions. As a result, virtually every state legislature was reapportioned,…
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…precedent, the court held in Reynolds v. Sims (1964) that both houses of bicameral legislatures had to be apportioned according to population. It remanded numerous other apportionment cases to lower courts for reconsideration in light of the Baker and Reynolds decisions. As a result, virtually every state legislature was reapportioned,…
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gerrymandering
…year, the Court affirmed, in Reynolds v. Sims, that “the Equal Protection Clause requires that the seats in both houses of a bicameral state legislature must be apportioned on a population basis.”
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…year, the Court affirmed, in Reynolds v. Sims, that “the Equal Protection Clause requires that the seats in both houses of a bicameral state legislature must be apportioned on a population basis.”
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Earl Warren
Chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
In Reynolds v. Sims (1964), using the Supreme Court’s precedent set in Baker v. Carr (1962), Warren held that representation in state legislatures must be apportioned equally on the basis of population rather than geographical areas, remarking that “legislators represent people, not acres or trees.” In…
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In Reynolds v. Sims (1964), using the Supreme Court’s precedent set in Baker v. Carr (1962), Warren held that representation in state legislatures must be apportioned equally on the basis of population rather than geographical areas, remarking that “legislators represent people, not acres or trees.” In…
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