Redistricting and Census

The United States Constitution, Article I, Section 2 requires congressional apportionment to be based on an “enumeration” of the U.S. population. However, the Constitution is silent on what data is to be used for redistricting.

The U.S. Census Bureau works all decade long to produce good data—and provides ways for counties, cities and other local jurisdictions that aren’t satisfied with their numbers to appeal or even ask for a new count. While these options won’t change redistricting data, they will matter when it comes to federal, and often state, funding. Learn how you can help ensure your jurisdiction’s data is as accurate as possible even at this point in the cycle.

Overcoming delays, the Census Bureau completed its decennial enumeration during a pandemic, but questions about data quality remain.

Many states’ newly drawn district maps will be challenged in court, but political change is likely to be minimal at the state level. At the federal level, it might be another story.

Find out what’s coming and when, what’s causing delays, does privacy balance with accuracy, what’s worrisome to state and local data users about data privacy protocols and what this all means for confidence in our nation’s public data.

Read about the National Popular Vote compact in this overview of state legislation.