U.S. Census Bureau Releases Bulletin to Allay Fears and Explain its Testing Strategy for Differential Privacy

U.S. Census Bureau Releases Bulletin to Allay Fears and Explain its Testing Strategy for Differential Privacy

By EditorApr 07, 2021
This week, the U.S. Census Bureau released a bulletin that sounds a lot like it is a response to a report released by MALDEF and other civil rights groups earlier in the week. That report warns that the Bureau's application of differential privacy (DP) statistical techniques that alter census redistricting data to protect privacy, is likely to frustrate implementation of the Voting Rights Act during the redistricting process, ultimately disenfranchising minority voters. In particular, the MALDEF report claims that recent samples of 2010 census data treated with various degrees of differential privacy (DP) techniques will obfuscate the true population count…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, NEWS, Redistricting, ,
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Reform: 2021 Gerrymandering Threat Index by Nonprofit Group “RepresentUs”

Reform: 2021 Gerrymandering Threat Index by Nonprofit Group “RepresentUs”

By EditorApr 07, 2021
RepresentUs, a nonprofit advocacy group, released an online app and 160-page Gerrymandering Threat Index report which measures each state's risk level for gerrymandering activity during the 2020 redistricting cycle. By its measure, 35 states have an extreme or high threat of gerrymandering or 70% of the nation, including over 188 million Americans. The index measures a state's likelihood that it will enact "gerrymandered" maps based on several factors including whether politicians draw maps, how transparent the process is, the robustness of legal criteria, the likelihood of partisan line-drawing, and how difficult maps are to challenge in court. Browse the risk…
Partisan Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, , ,
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Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Minority Groups During Redistricting Due to Differential Privacy

Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Minority Groups During Redistricting Due to Differential Privacy

By EditorApr 05, 2021
Civil rights groups are raising concerns about the accuracy of the U.S. Census Bureau’s proposed new system for protecting privacy in a report released today. The report raises concerns about how the Bureau's use of differential privacy as evidenced by recent demonstration data, will obfuscate the true population count of minority populations and frustrate compliance with federal (and some state) Voting Rights laws governing the redistricting process. PRESS RELEASE April 5, 2021: Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Upcoming Redistricting Efforts Highlight Concerns About the Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Methodology (Washington, D.C.) – Civil rights groups…
Census Data and Geography, LATEST, NEWS, Race in Redistricting, Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, , ,
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View the Latest Census Estimate Data for Your State with the Redistricting and You Online Map Tool

View the Latest Census Estimate Data for Your State with the Redistricting and You Online Map Tool

By EditorApr 03, 2021
The Center for Urban Research (CUR) at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) has created the Redistricting & You online map to help members of the public, journalists, elected officials, and other redistricting stakeholders to understand the local implications of redrawing legislative district lines across the country. The website uses the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to show several population characteristics that will help inform the redistricting debate. Until census 2020 data is available, the most current data to show how congressional and state legislative district demographics have changed is from the American Community Survey, either from the 5-year 2015-2019 estimates or…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, LATEST, Redistricting, Redistricting Prep,
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Study: Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Disclosure Avoidance System Produces Concerning Results for Local Jurisdictions

Study: Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Disclosure Avoidance System Produces Concerning Results for Local Jurisdictions

By EditorMar 31, 2021
Recent research into the effect of differential privacy (DP) on Alaska's census data show concerning results, especially for small area geographies such as townships, municipalities and other local jurisdictions. The authors of the study, a summary of which is posted in the blog for the Population Association of America, warn that local redistricting and other activities connected to census data could be substantially impacted by the Census Bureau's application of differential privacy on raw census data. The authors of the study, David Swanson, Professor Emeritus, Sociology at the University of California - Riverside, T.M. Bryan of Bryan Demographic Research, Richmond,…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, Local Redistricting, NEWS, Redistricting, , ,
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California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract

California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract

By EditorMar 31, 2021
PRESS RELEASE: 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) announced the approval of HaystaqDNA and Q2 Data & Research, LLC as the contractors selected to assist in the professional and technical drawing of district lines. The Commission is tasked with mapping new districts based on the 2020 Census in conformity with strict, non-partisan rules put in place to ensure fair representation for all Californians. HaystaqDNA and Q2 Data & Research, LLC served as technical consultants to the Arizona and California independent redistricting commissions, respectively, in 2011. The line…
NEWS, Official Redistricting Entities, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions,
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California Redistricting Commission Gets Confirmation it Can Use Early Census “Legacy Format” Data

California Redistricting Commission Gets Confirmation it Can Use Early Census “Legacy Format” Data

By EditorMar 29, 2021
In a letter to the state's independent redistricting commission, Karin Mac Donald, the director of the California Statewide Database program, (SWDB) confirmed that the SWDB has the technical capabilities to process the legacy format files that the U.S. Census Bureau plans to release ahead of the final redistricting data files scheduled to be released by Sept 30. According to the Census Bureau, the data contained in the legacy file and the final file will be identical. Earlier this month, the bureau indicated that despite the six-month delay in delivering redistricting data to the states, it would be possible to release…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, NEWS, Redistricting, ,
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Update: Alabama Court Grants 3-Judge Panel in Census Lawsuit

Update: Alabama Court Grants 3-Judge Panel in Census Lawsuit

By EditorMar 29, 2021
An Alabama federal district court granted a Mar 8 request for a 3-judge panel by plaintiffs to consider the differential privacy claims raised in a lawsuit filed by the state of Alabama against the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal statute allows a plaintiff to request a 3-judge panel to consider any case involving the use of any statistical method used in the decennial U.S. census in possible violation of the Constitution or other provision of law. This development ensures a fast-track to the U.S. Supreme Court should one of the parties appeal the panel's decision. Read the court's order. In granting…
Case Updates, Casedocs, LAW, NEWS, Redistricting
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Update: Minnesota Court Issues Order to Appoint Special Redistricting Panel if Legislature Fails to Redistrict

Update: Minnesota Court Issues Order to Appoint Special Redistricting Panel if Legislature Fails to Redistrict

By EditorMar 29, 2021
On March 22, the Minnesota Supreme Court granted the plaintiff's request in Wattson v. Simon to appoint a special redistricting panel for redistricting in the state in anticipation of the legislature failing to enact maps in time for upcoming elections. Read the original complaint. Read the court's order. Learn more. While the court agreed to appoint a panel at some point in the future, it delayed doing so and stayed all further proceedings until the legislature has had time to enact maps. This year's regular session of the Minnesota legislature is scheduled to end in late May. The court also…
Case Updates, Casedocs, NEWS, Redistricting
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