The Work of the 2020 Census Continues

The Census Bureau has indicated that the 2020 Census data won't be ready until the end of September at the earliest.  The data is needed for apportionment and redistricting.

 

Recent News Articles

 

• 6-Month Delay in Census Redistricting Data Could Throw Elections into Chaos, Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 2/12/2021

• A Census Case That Goes to the Heart of American Democracy,  Michael Wines, The New York Times, 11/30/2020

• U.S. Supreme Court weighs Trump bid to bar illegal immigrants from census totals, Lawrence Hurley, Reuters, 11/29/2020

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Why the Census Matters

 

The federal funding that comes to New Mexico for federal aid programs is calculated based on the information gathered in the census.  Federal aid programs include Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, Head Start, and many more.

New Mexico is considered one of the most difficult states to count.  We are always under counted, which means we are also underfunded. For every 1% undercount, New Mexico loses an estimated $78 million per year for ten years.

When federal aid programs are underfunded, people turn to nonprofits to meet their needs.  Fully funded public systems like our schools, hospitals, and roads, are vital to New Mexico’s well-being.