Media advisory: KU researcher can discuss implications of "one person, one vote" decision

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas researcher is available to address Monday's unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states may count all residents, regardless of voter eligibility status, in drawing election districts.

Proponents said the Supreme Court's decision in the Texas case, Evenwel v. Abbott, upheld the legal precedent of the "one person, one vote," principle, and the decision was the high court's first in resolving whether voting districts should be calculated by total population or by the number eligible voters. However, the justices did not decide whether other ways of counting were permissible.

Reggie Robinson, professor and director of the KU School of Public Affairs and Administration, as part of his research portfolio examines voting rights and the redistricting process. Robinson is the former president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents and deputy associate attorney general of the United States.

"The general sense is that a successful challenge would have led to a shift of power to more rural state populations where the ratio of eligible voters to total population is higher than is the case in urban areas, because the count of total population includes many who are not eligible to vote," Robinson said.

To arrange an interview with Robinson, contact George Diepenbrock at 785-864-8853 or gdiepenbrock@ku.edu.