In the case of Connor et al. v. Johnson et al., 1970, the U.S Supreme Court was faced with a dispute over Mississippi's congressional redistricting plan following the 1960 census. The plaintiffs argued that this plan violated their constitutional rights because it did not ensure equal representation for all citizens due to population variances among districts. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered that until a new redistricting plan could be implemented, at-large elections would be held for Mississippi's five congressional seats instead of district-based elections as had been previously done. This decision underscored the principle of "one person, one vote," emphasizing that each citizen should have an equally weighted vote in elections.

In the dissenting opinion for CONNOR et al. v. JOHNSON et al., Justice Harlan disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold Mississippi's at-large voting system, arguing that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. He believed that this type of voting system inherently disadvantaged racial minorities by diluting their political power and preventing them from electing representatives who could advocate for their interests in government. Furthermore, he criticized his colleagues' reliance on outdated precedents and failure to consider recent developments in constitutional law regarding minority representation rights. In conclusion, Justice Harlan argued that a more equitable solution would be to divide Mississippi into single-member districts where each group has an equal opportunity to influence elections.