"The right to vote freely for the candidate of one's choice is of the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the heart of representative government. And the right of suffrage can be denied by a debasement or dilution of the weight of a citizen's vote just as effectively as by wholly prohibiting the free exercise of the franchise. [...] Undoubtedly, the right of suffrage is a fundamental in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized."
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Original Language: English
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Earl Warren, Majority opinion in Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964) at 555 and 561-562 on the right to vote as the foundation of democracy.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elections
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Elections
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