Heavily Latino states lose political clout
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The 2020 census results are raising the spectre of possible miscounts of Hispanics.
Why it matters: Latino people in the U.S. have accounted for around half of the country’s demographic growth for the last decade. This was not reflected in the census numbers.
- Arizona failed to pick up a seat, while Florida and Texas picked up fewer than expected, Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman tells Axios.
- Congressional apportionments determine access to budget funds and issues of taxation for up to a decade.
Between the lines: The U.S. Census Bureau originally had a delayed schedule to carry out the questionnaires due to pandemic logistics. But the Trump administration ordered the counting to end early.
- Census takers reported they were sometimes instructed to enter false information in order to meet deadlines.
Experts also sounded the alarm in 2020 that there could be an undercount because there was insufficient outreach for minority communities in certain states.
- Immigrants were fearful of filling out the form, since the previous government sought to exclude non-citizens from the final tallies.
What’s next: More in-depth census results, including a demographic breakdown, will be available come September.
Go deeper: The next census fight is over reapportionment.
