Census Bureau Announces “Early” Release Date for Easier-to-Use Formats for Redistricting Data

Census Bureau Announces “Early” Release Date for Easier-to-Use Formats for Redistricting Data

By EditorSep 01, 2021
Press Release SEPT. 1, 2021 — The U.S. Census Bureau will release easier-to-use formats of the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File on September 16. Also on September 16, redistricting data will be available through the Census Bureau’s primary data dissemination tool, data.census.gov. The Census Bureau will also deliver an easy-to-use toolkit of DVDs and flash drives to state officials and public bodies responsible for their state’s legislative apportionment or districting. These data — first released August 12 — are currently available in a legacy format on the Census Bureau’s FTP site. These data are also available through various data visualizations. More information, including links to the…
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Recent Census Data Developments Call into Question its Suitability for Redistricting

Recent Census Data Developments Call into Question its Suitability for Redistricting

By EditorAug 01, 2021
In the span of just a few days and just weeks before official census redistricting data is scheduled to be released, the Census Bureau reveals two rather startling revelations about the data. "Fuzzy Blocks" First, the Acting Census Director Ron Jarmin warned in the Director's Blog that the information in individual census blocks - the smallest and most detailed unit of data - will appear "fuzzy" and at times nonsensical due to the Bureau's application of privacy measures, and thus should not be used for building redistricting maps. Blocks are often used as the basic building blocks of redistricting maps…
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Union of Concerned Scientists Release Report on 2020 Census Data Accuracy

Union of Concerned Scientists Release Report on 2020 Census Data Accuracy

By EditorJul 30, 2021
Concerns about census data accuracy have lead experts to worry about "the potential undercounting of variousgroups in the country and how undercounts might affect federal funding allocation, redistricting efforts, and representation. The Union of Concerned Scientists released this report in July describing the possible effects that undercounting may have on specific populations. From the Report: ". . . worries include potential undercounting of Hispanic populations in many communities and of young children, as well as underestimates of population at the state level (Epstein and Medina 2021; O’Hare et al. 2020; Bahrampour,Rabinowitz, and Mellnik 2021). In this report, we seek to…
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Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When

Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When

By EditorJul 28, 2021
Director's Blog - BY DR. RON JARMIN, ACTING DIRECTOR: Since releasing the apportionment results in April, we’ve had several teams working hard on the next set of 2020 Census data — the redistricting data. These data play an important role in our democracy and will begin to illuminate the changes to the local and demographic makeup of our nation over the last decade. These data include the first sub-state population counts and demographic characteristics from the census, information that states typically use for redistricting — the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries based on where their populations have increased or…
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Resources Available to Prepare for the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Release

Resources Available to Prepare for the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Release

By EditorJul 28, 2021
Press Release- BY JAMES WHITEHORNE, CHIEF, REDISTRICTING DATA AND VOTING RIGHTS OFFICE: In a few weeks, we’ll release the 2020 Census redistricting data in our legacy summary file format. And a few weeks after that, we’ll release the same data in an easier-to-use format. We’re releasing the same data twice but in different formats at different times to make sure states get the data as quickly as possible. Acting Director Dr. Ron Jarmin explained these two releases in his blog, Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When. In this blog, I provide more detail about the formats and support materials available,…
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Census Bureau Moves Up Release of Demonstration Data to Coincide with August Redistricting Data Release

Census Bureau Moves Up Release of Demonstration Data to Coincide with August Redistricting Data Release

By EditorJul 23, 2021
Press Release (July 22, 2021): In response to stakeholder input about the value of earlier access to demonstration data that feature the 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance System’s chosen production settings, the Census Bureau is moving up the release date for the demonstration data to coincide with the release (by August 16) of the legacy-formatted redistricting data. We’ll announce the specific release date in the coming weeks. The Census Bureau released metrics for the chosen production settings July 1 (see newsletter). We understand, based on your feedback, that access to the demonstration data coincident to the initial redistricting data release will…
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Duke University Prof. Will Discuss “Monte Carlo” Sampling Method for Fair Redistricting Maps

Duke University Prof. Will Discuss “Monte Carlo” Sampling Method for Fair Redistricting Maps

By EditorJul 03, 2021
Monte Carlo sampling is generally a numerical method of solving mathematical problems through random sampling. When applied to redistricting, many academics advocate its use either to ferret out extreme gerrymandering or to produce more fairly drawn maps in the first place. Professor of Mathematics Jonathan Christopher Mattingly of Duke University, will be discussing the Monte Carlo method in-depth as it applies to redistricting on July 20th as the I.E. Block Community Lecturer at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) virtual annual meeting. Mattingly has served as an expert witness in several high-profile restricting cases, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court case…
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Census Bureau Sets Key Parameters to Protect Privacy in 2020 Census Results

Census Bureau Sets Key Parameters to Protect Privacy in 2020 Census Results

By EditorJun 09, 2021
The Census Bureau announced today the final framework for implementing its privacy algorithm (aka "disclosure avoidance or "differential privacy") on the 2020 census data. The specific settings (indicated below) determine the balance between accuracy and privacy in the data. In short, it determines how much statistical "noise" will be injected into the data. This decision comes after several notable criticisms of demonstration data that had been treated with the algorithm. Quick Info for Statistical Professionals: The latest set of demonstration data was set at an epsilon of 12.2. Today, the bureau's Data Stewardship Executive Policy Committee chose an epsilon of…
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Two Studies Find Major Issues with Soon to Be Released Census Data Due to Differential Privacy

Two Studies Find Major Issues with Soon to Be Released Census Data Due to Differential Privacy

By EditorMay 30, 2021
A team of researchers at Harvard University and a separate team at the University of Minnesota have published reports offering a troubling assessment of the U.S. Census Bureau's use of differential privacy or disclosure avoidance system (DAS) to block would-be hackers from identifying the personal information of everyone who participated in the 2020 census. In short, both conclude that the soon-to-be-released census data will not be accurate enough for redistricting. Read both studies here: Harvard Study. University of Minnesota Study. These reports and others are responses solicited by the Census Bureau in its effort to promote transparency and obtain feedback…
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