malapportioning

Malapportioning refers to the practice of dividing electoral districts in a way that gives disproportionate voting power to certain groups of voters. This is often achieved by drawing district boundaries to create populations that are significantly unequal in size. When districts have vastly different populations, a vote cast in a smaller district carries more weight than a vote cast in a larger district. This unequal distribution of voting power can lead to outcomes where a party or candidate can win a majority of seats in a legislature without winning a majority of the popular vote.

The opposite of malapportioning is the principle of "one person, one vote," which suggests that each citizen's vote should carry equal weight. Malapportioning can occur in various forms, including partisan gerrymandering, where districts are drawn to favor one political party, or through historical or geographical factors that lead to population disparities. Legal challenges to malapportioned districts have been common in many democracies, as they can undermine the fairness and legitimacy of the electoral process. Courts often intervene to ensure that districts are drawn with roughly equal populations to uphold democratic principles.