Redistricting Data effects nearly Everything in State and Federal Government, from the way U.S. and State Congressional Districts are Drawn, to how many Representatives a State has in Congress, to Federal Funding for Education, Healthcare, Roads, and more.

First Trump had the Bureau cut the Counting before it was Official to end and Missed many Households. Then COVID-19 Pandemic Reduced Bureau Staff, played a part in the Bureau Missing its Initial Deadline.

These States are Suing the Census Bureau for Delaying Submitting Population Data Earler:

Alabama: The State is Suing the U.S. Census Bureau, arguing the Bureau is Unconstitutionally Delaying the Release of Vital Population Data to States, and that a New Method for Protecting Privacy is Changing, or even Falsifying the Numbers.

Alabama Attorney General, Steve Marshall, on Wednesday, filed the Lawsuit, which aims to Force the Bureau to release Redistricting Data by the End of this Month, instead of on September 30th, when the Data is Currently Scheduled to be handed over to States. The Suit also Aims to Force the Bureau Not to use something called “Differential Privacy,” a New and Controversial Method for Privacy Protection announced for the 2020 Census.

Differential Privacy is New to the 2020 Census and was announced in 2018. It uses Complex Math to Add “Noise” to Data reported by the Bureau for the 2020 Census, in an aim to Protect the Privacy of the People counted by the Bureau. That Noise is only shown in Public Facing Data, the Census Bureau still Counted each Person Living in the Country in 2020, as it is Constitutionally obligated to do. But Differential Privacy is at the Center of Alabama’s Suit and U.S Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL, 4th District) says the New Practice “seems to be playing a role” in the Delay.

That Noise will in effect Change the Count for certain Subsets of the Population. Some Areas and Groups, especially Minorities and People Living in Rural Areas, are likely to be more Affected than others.

“Differential privacy applies a statistical algorithm to the census data that scrambles the data to minimize the chances of identifying any individual person,” Rep. Aderholt, who joined the Suit, said in a Press Release on Wednesday. “However, the problem is that when the data gets scrambled, it also becomes inaccurate and useless.”

Alabama’s Constitution states that it must Complete Redistricting in the year following the Census. That means it has to Redraw the Lines in 2021. Since Alabama’s Last scheduled Meeting of the State Legislature is July 31st, if the Bureau doesn’t send Data to Alabama until Sept. 30th, a Special Session will be Required for Redistricting. And there Won’t be much time to get it done.

The Census Bureau has always made Changes to its Reported Data, the Data that is made Available to the Public, in an effort to Protect Privacy. But the New Method has drawn Questions and Criticism from both Political Parties and various Civil Rights Groups and Demographers.

Since the 2000 Census, the Bureau has used something known as “Data Swapping,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That Practice involved moving Populations around among Different Geographies. And the Bureau has Not yet settled on the Exact Math it will use for the 2020 Numbers. Basically, it hasn’t yet Decided how much “Noise” it will Add to the Data.

“The Census is only carried out once every ten years and is vital for redistricting, federal allocation of tax dollars and for many other public and private uses,” Aderholt said. “Therefore, it is critical that the numbers be as accurate as possible and not be simply generated by computer algorithms and guess work. The bureau’s practice of “differential privacy” is just that, guess work. Furthermore, rural areas will be affected the most, because the smaller the population of an area the more the data will be skewed in order to ensure privacy according to this policy.”

Ohio: Is Suing the U.S. Census Bureau, State of Ohio v Raimondo, 21-3294, dmemanding that Population Data needed for Redistricting be furnished Earlier than September 30th, 2021.

The Sixth Circuit will hear Ohio’s Appeal on Wednesday, May 12th.

The Judges will be:

- Amul Thapar, a Trump Appointee

- Martha Daughtrey, a Clinton Appointee

- David McKeague, a Bush Sr. Appointee










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker