Dunn, Governor of Tennessee, et al. v. Blumstein

Decided March 21, 1972. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 70-13 · 405 U.S. 330 (1972) · Cited 2,034 times

Holding

The durational residence requirements are violative of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as they are not necessary to further a compelling state interest.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–1.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Kramer v. Union Free School District No. 15 · 395 U.S. 621 (1969)
• Carrington v. Rash · 380 U.S. 89 (1965)
• Oregon v. Mitchell · 400 U.S. 112 (1970)
• Evans v. Cornman · 398 U.S. 419 (1970)
• Cipriano v. City of Houma · 395 U.S. 701 (1969)
• Harman v. Forssenius · 380 U.S. 528 (1965)
• Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson · 316 U.S. 535 (1942)
• Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections · 383 U.S. 663 (1966)
• McDonald v. Board of Election Comm'rs of Chicago · 394 U.S. 802 (1969)
• Crandall v. Nevada · 73 U.S. 35 (1868)
• Reynolds v. Sims · 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
• Graham v. Richardson · 403 U.S. 365 (1971)
• Hall v. Beals · 396 U.S. 45 (1969)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• Shelton v. Tucker · 364 U.S. 479 (1960)
• Schneider v. State (Town of Irvington) · 308 U.S. 147 (1939)
• Williams v. Rhodes · 393 U.S. 23 (1968)
• Garrity v. New Jersey · 385 U.S. 493 (1967)
• United States v. Jackson · 390 U.S. 570 (1968)
• Paul v. Virginia · 75 U.S. 168 (1869)
• Spevack v. Klein · 385 U.S. 511 (1967)
• Allied Stores of Ohio, Inc. v. Bowers · 358 U.S. 522 (1959)
• United States v. Guest · 383 U.S. 745 (1966)
• Moore v. Ogilvie · 394 U.S. 814 (1969)
• Toomer v. Witsell · 334 U.S. 385 (1948)
• Kent v. Dulles · 357 U.S. 116 (1958)
• United States v. Robel · 389 U.S. 258 (1967)
• Morey v. Doud · 354 U.S. 457 (1957)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Attorney General of New York v. Soto-Lopez · 476 U.S. 898 (1986)
• Sosna v. Iowa · 419 U.S. 393 (1975)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• Rosario v. Rockefeller · 410 U.S. 752 (1973)
• Richardson v. Ramirez · 418 U.S. 24 (1974)
• City of Mobile v. Bolden · 446 U.S. 55 (1980)
• Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa County · 415 U.S. 250 (1974)
• Storer v. Brown · 415 U.S. 724 (1974)
• Burson v. Freeman · 504 U.S. 191 (1992)
• Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa · 439 U.S. 60 (1978)
• Martinez Ex Rel. Morales v. Bynum · 461 U.S. 321 (1983)
• Anderson v. Celebrezze · 460 U.S. 780 (1983)
• Vlandis v. Kline · 412 U.S. 441 (1973)
• Kusper v. Pontikes · 414 U.S. 51 (1973)
• Zobel v. Williams · 457 U.S. 55 (1982)
• McCarthy v. Philadelphia Civil Service Commission · 424 U.S. 645 (1976)
• Crawford v. Marion County Election Board · 553 U.S. 181 (2008)
• Purcell v. Gonzalez · 549 U.S. 1 (2006)
• Foley v. Connelie · 435 U.S. 291 (1978)
• Jones v. Helms · 452 U.S. 412 (1981)
• Plyler v. Doe · 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
• Babbitt v. United Farm Workers National Union · 442 U.S. 289 (1979)
• Weinstein v. Bradford · 423 U.S. 147 (1975)
• Police Dept. of Chicago v. Mosley · 408 U.S. 92 (1972)
• Romer v. Evans · 517 U.S. 620 (1996)
• Tennessee v. Lane · 541 U.S. 509 (2004)
• Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party · 440 U.S. 173 (1979)
• Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee · 489 U.S. 214 (1989)
• American Party of Texas v. White · 415 U.S. 767 (1974)
• Saenz v. Roe · 526 U.S. 489 (1999)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1972). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).