Fortson v. Toombs held that seats in the General Assembly must be apportioned by what principle?

Fortson v. Toombs held that seats in the General Assembly must be apportioned by what principle?

• A. County boundaries
• B. Fixed numbers per county
• C. Roughly equal population
• D. Random assignment

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that legislative representation should be proportional to the number of people in each district, so each vote carries roughly the same weight. Fortson v. Toombs established that the Georgia General Assembly must be apportioned by population rather than by county lines or fixed quotas, ensuring districts have roughly equal numbers of residents. This aligns with the principle often described as “one person, one vote,” preventing overrepresentation of rural areas and underrepresentation of urban areas.

The key idea is that legislative representation should be proportional to the number of people in each district, so each vote carries roughly the same weight. Fortson v. Toombs established that the Georgia General Assembly must be apportioned by population rather than by county lines or fixed quotas, ensuring districts have roughly equal numbers of residents. This aligns with the principle often described as “one person, one vote,” preventing overrepresentation of rural areas and underrepresentation of urban areas.