Ngày nay Tòa án Tối cao Hoa Kỳ đã bỏ phiếu 8-0 trong Evenwel kiện Abbott to allow states to continue to count total population when drawing state legislative districts after each census. The plaintiffs sought an unprecedented change to the U.S. Constitution forbidding states from using census counts of total population and requiring them to draw districts with equal number of voters. Salt Lake City joined 18 other counties and cities across the country to oppose this change.

“Today’s decision affirms one of America’s most fundamental values: that every person counts,” said Common Cause President Miles Rapoport.  “A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would have made millions of young people, non-citizen residents, and other non-voters invisible in our state legislatures. Our Constitution begins with the words ‘We the people;’ the court has declared today that that means everyone — not just those who vote – is entitled to equal representation at every level of government.”

Nếu nguyên đơn thắng kiện, lệnh chỉ tính số cử tri để phân chia lại khu vực bầu cử trên toàn quốc sẽ khiến các cộng đồng có nhiều người không đi bầu - chẳng hạn như cư dân trẻ và không phải công dân - bị đại diện thiếu nghiêm trọng trong các cơ quan lập pháp tiểu bang.

“Common Cause joined cities and counties across the country – from Los Angeles, CA to Salt Lake City, UT to Trenton, NJ – to argue that everyone, whether young or old, city-dweller or small town resident, deserves equal representation when it comes to providing police, fire, schools, and other services,” said Common Cause National Redistricting Director Kathay Feng. “We don’t deny police or fire protection to children because they are not registered to vote, so why would we deny fair representation in the Utah State Legislature based on who is registered and who is not?”