US Supreme Court Reverses Decision Blocking Rushed Census Count

High Court’s Ruling Allows Trump Administration to Direct Bureau to End 2020 Census Count Early 

WASHINGTON—Today, the US Supreme Court granted an emergency request from the Trump administration, allowing it to rush the 2020 Census count to an early close. The Court’s action reverses decisions from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and a US District Court in California. League of Women Voters CEO Virginia Kase issued this statement in response to today’s decision: 

“We are disappointed and dismayed at the Court’s decision today. Our trusted career Census officials outlined an extended counting period in order to achieve the full enumeration of all people living in the United States, as called for in the Constitution. The senseless back and forth, the endless court challenges, and the refusal to comply with court orders are all part of this administration’s attempts to undermine an accurate count. 

“An undercount in the 2020 Census has drastic consequences well beyond politics. Communities depend on Census data to obtain federal funding for critical services and infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges—things that touch the everyday life of every person living in the United States. 

“Census officials have been planning this year’s count for a decade, and they outlined a timeline that would ensure they could reach an accurate count during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this administration to blatantly disrupt those plans undermines American livelihoods as well as our democratic system. 

“As a dedicated ally in getting out the count across the country this year, the League is proud of the Census Bureau’s efforts to count as many people as possible, even during unprecedented circumstances.” 

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PRESS CONTACT: Kayla Vix | 202-809-9668 | [email protected]