On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case Evenwel v. Abbott. The main issue in the case is who must be counted when district lines are drawn.
The “one person, one vote” principle in operation since the 1960s has typically been interpreted to mean all persons — including people who cannot vote, such as children and non-citizens. The suit brought by Evenwel against the state of Texas seeks to change the definition to eligible voters.
The consequences of such a move are already being debated. Now, some new evidence from political scientist Carl Klarner suggests what the consequences would be: less voting power for Latinos and Democrats.