On Thursday, Oct. 15, the U.S. Census Bureau closed counting for the rest of 2020. This comes 2 weeks before the previously determined deadline, due to a Supreme Court order moved by the Trump administration. The decision made by the Supreme Court will go into effect regardless of the result of the upcoming presidential election. 

The Census Bureau’s reporting was delayed multiple times this year because of the Coronavirus pandemic, and these delays greatly affected the data Census workers were able to record. Funding varies from community to community, and the Census Bureau is responsible for how this funding is allocated. A lack of accurate reporting will have large effects on funding and resources available in Sonoma County.

When the Census Bureau was forced to abruptly stop counting, they were in the midst of recording people who live in transitory locations. The work that was scheduled to occur within the next 2 weeks would largely consist of counting and recording people living in R.V. parks, on boats, in hotels and motels, or who are currently homeless. Essentially, in this 2 week period that will no longer occur, the Census Bureau was going to count those who are harder to reach, such as people working multiple jobs, those who have no internet access, immigrants, minority communities, and low-income people.

 Neglecting to record the information of remaining individuals from these communities means they will not be receiving any extra aid and resources that will greatly benefit them. Robert Santos, who serves as the president-elect of the American Statistical Association, said, “I do not believe that a fair and accurate Census can occur…I expect it to be one of the most flawed Censuses in history.”

The decision to end the Census early follows countless other hurdles the Census has faced during 2020, including Trump’s refusal to add a citizenship question. His proposal was to use administrative data that excludes undocumented immigrants, meaning that they will not be counted and less funding will be available for these people and their communities. 

The Trump Administration also picked new appointees for the Census Bureau, who are well-known for gerrymandering. This has led to worries of political influence from inside the Census Bureau.

In Sonoma County, as well as other counties across the nation, there is a lack of reporting of people living in transitory locations, and Sonoma County will undoubtedly see the effects of this within our federal funding for the next 10 years. “Population counts are used as the basis for the next 10 years of population projections, and those projections are used for really important studies and to issue federal funding to the tune of $1.5 trillion per year,” explained Santos.

Such inaccurate reporting could greatly alter how families recover from these difficult times. As we approach the next presidential election, the data the Census Bureau provides is essential in ensuring our country can recover from such a tumultuous year. The potential for political screw inside the Census Bureau prevents even a new administration from being able to provide the resources needed for communities to recover properly.