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Census

The US Census is the once-in-a-decade process of counting every resident in the country. This data is then used to create district maps during the redistricting cycle. 

Why It Matters

US Census data is used to make decisions around education, healthcare, infrastructure, and political representation. With increased growth across the country, getting an accurate and complete count of every person living within is crucial to ensure that each state receives funding to support the number of residents in each state. 

What We're Doing

The League’s census work occurs in three phases: (1) Education; (2) Get Out to Count activities, (3) Watchdog reporting. In the months leading up to Census Day, Leagues around the country go into communities sharing information and resources about how to participate and the importance of the US Census. On Census Day, the League works in a coalition to help get everyone counted, works in Complete Count Committees to share out information about low-reporting areas, and communicates where additional support is needed.

Now that the redistricting process has begun, the League is focused on empowering people to get involved in the creation of fair districts through census data.

To promote the census in your community, contact one of the 700+ state and local Leagues.

Latest from the League
U.S. Supreme Court Considers the Idea of Representation

Evenwel v. Abbott, a case out of Texas, has the potential to upset the criteria for drawing state and local legislative districts so that they would be determined by the total number of voters instead of total population. The League submitted an amicus brief in Evenwel that supports the current practice of drawing district lines.

Blog /
League Joins Comments to Census Bureau

The League joined national civil rights, voting rights, labor and criminal justice organizations in submitting comments to the Census Bureau asking that incarcerated persons be counted at their home address, rather than the prison facility they occupy on census day. The League believes that if the Census Bureau modified its residence rule with respect to incarcerated persons, all states and localities will have the opportunity to more accurately and equitably reflect the incarcerated population in their redistricting plans.

Article /

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