A recent report from the Census Bureau found that in Fiscal Year 2021, 353 federal assistance programs used Census Bureau data to distribute more than $2.8 trillion in funds — including over $700 billion to respond to the pandemic.

In the wake of voter turnout reaching a record high, disparities persisted between racial groups. n the South, Black vote share gaps occurred in more than 95% of Southern counties and more than a quarter of Southern counties had a Black vote share gap greater than than 2%.

Since 2020, many states have reversed those temporary provisions and there have been a deluge of new voting laws passed in states across the nation. From Jan 2021- May 2023, 27 states have passed voting laws that make it harder for Americans to vote.

In 39 states, the state supreme court lacks the racial and ethnic diversity of the populations they represent.

The differential undercount of renters in the 2020 Census increased to 1.5%, up from 1.1% in 2010, according to the Post-Enumeration Survey, a Census Bureau field test of census accuracy.

In the 2022 election, only 13% of the seats for the U.S. House of Representatives were competitive (won by a margin of less than 8%), continuing a decline in competitive districts.

The 2022 midterm election saw voter turnout rates drop in 42 states compared to the 2018 midterms, and nationwide turnout fell below 47%.

In the current Congress, 48% of Southerners are represented by a 2020 election denier, as are 22% of non-Southerners.

The 118th Congress, convened on January 3rd, is the most racially and ethnically diverse Congress in American history, with more than a quarter of current members of Congress identifying as non-White and/or Hispanic.

Improving the Population Estimates Program could mitigate issues in the 2020 Census, which undercounted people of color, the very young, and the population of 6 states, according to the Census Bureau’s own measures of accuracy. (Populations of 8 states, white people, and older Americans were overcounted.)

Despite there being no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election and expert consensus that it was secure, more than 300 candidates across the country running for election this November have denied the results of the 2020 election, all Republicans. In the South, 58% of candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives have made these claims.

Southern states rank among the most difficult to vote, with South Carolina (43rd), Alabama (45th), Arkansas (48th), and Mississippi (49th) having some of the highest barriers to voting access.

For many decades, the U.S. Census has undercounted children. The 2020 undercount of young children 0-4 years old was larger than any Census since 1970. These undercounts reduce both political representation and funding for children nationwide.

A diverse judiciary promotes richer jurisprudence, benefiting from judges who have seen problems from different angles. Many state supreme courts lack the diversity of the populations they represent.

Many Southern states are among the worst. Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Louisiana have the worst infant mortality rates in the country and also restrictive electoral climates.

30 states have constitutional requirements that elections be “free.” In 18 of those states, the constitution goes further, requiring that elections be “equal” or “open.”

Census data has historically undercounted communities of color, with gaps widening this year for some groups. These undercounts reduce political representation and funding for affected communities nationwide.

As the nation’s largest household survey, with more than 2 million households responding per year, the ACS is the source of the most accurate, up-to-date, and detailed information about U.S. communities of any size.

Undercounts (and overcounts) affect state and federal political representation and funding for necessities such as infrastructure, children’s programs, and health care.

Census data has historically undercounted communities of color, with gaps widening this year for some groups. These undercounts reduce political representation and funding for affected communities nationwide.