Census Bureau to Release Redistricting Data on Aug. 12. Four Days Early.

Census Bureau to Release Redistricting Data on Aug. 12. Four Days Early.

By EditorAug 05, 2021
U.S. Census Bureau Press Release: August 5, 2021. The U.S. Census Bureau will hold a news conference to discuss the release of the first local level results from the 2020 Census. States use these data on race, Hispanic origin, and the voting-age population to redraw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts. The news conference will provide initial analysis of the first local level results from the 2020 Census on population change, race, ethnicity, the age 18 and over population, and housing occupancy status. A live Q&A session with Census Bureau subject-matter experts will immediately follow the briefing…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting Functions, , , ,
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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 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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MALDEF: Civil Rights, Good Government Groups, and Experts, Decry Attempts to Use ACS Data as the Primary Basis for Redistricting

MALDEF: Civil Rights, Good Government Groups, and Experts, Decry Attempts to Use ACS Data as the Primary Basis for Redistricting

By EditorApr 30, 2021
A Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) press release denounces the use of survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau as an alternate basis to draw redistricting maps. Various civil rights organizations and experts have released a joint statement expressing concerns about the practice. Read the press release and statement below. PRESS RELEASE Washington, DC – Today, more than 55 civil and human rights groups and expert individuals released a statement to warn against inappropriate uses of data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for the purposes of redistricting. Led by Advancing Justice – AAJC, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and…
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Census Bureau Director’s Blog Post: “Anomalies” in Data are Not as Scary as they Sound

Census Bureau Director’s Blog Post: “Anomalies” in Data are Not as Scary as they Sound

By EditorMar 09, 2021
Michael Thieme, Assistant Director for Decennial Census Programs discusses the back-office processing of census data "anomalies" and what that really means. The article, by Thieme's admission, is meant to address the confusion surrounding the term and explain that anomalies are "a signal that the quality checks on the census are working." He gives a detailed and informative look at just what anomalies really are and how the Census Bureau addresses them, including the various categories of anomalies. Thieme also assures readers that "we have not found any anomalies that are impossible to fix." Read the blog entry here.
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PlanScore Announces Online Redistricting App for Measuring Partisan Bias

PlanScore Announces Online Redistricting App for Measuring Partisan Bias

By EditorMar 07, 2021
As the push for more transparency and less partisanship in redistricting intensifies, PlanScore aims to be "a trusted, non-partisan resource for the redistricting efforts to come in the 2020 cycle." The nonprofit organization formed by top legal, academic, and technical experts in the field, will do this by offering an online diagnostic tool for redistricting maps. The Online App The online service will assist legislative staff and the general public by allowing any geographic file uploaded by site visitors to be checked for its partisan, demographic, racial, and geometric features. The analysis gives plan-wide scores for several statistical measures that…
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