Citizenship question drives uncertainty over 2020 census

Uncertainly is swirling over whether the Census Bureau will be able to get an accurate population count for the 2020 census, as the agency considers a Department of Justice (DOJ) request to add a controversial question about citizenship status to the census questionnaire.

The stakes are enormously high.

Census data is used to redraw House districts, and the number of House seats each state receives also plays a part in determining each state’s number of electoral votes.

Experts say a citizenship question could seriously skew the numbers if people are too frightened to respond.

Phil Sparks, co-director of The Census Project, said even a small change to the census could have big ramifications on the makeup of Congress and, ultimately, the outcome of elections.

http://thehill.com/regulation/372445-citizenship-question-drives-uncertainty-over-2020-census?userid=229233