By Kelly Hayes | FOX 10
The U.S. Census Bureau on Monday is set to release the first set of numbers used in determining how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state receives.
The release of the apportionment numbers Monday afternoon comes almost four months later than planned because of delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as anomalies discovered in the data as the numbers were being crunched. The numbers are state population counts that show how many residents each state has gained or lost over the past decade.
The 435 seats in the House of Representatives are divided among the states based on population. As growing states get more congressional seats because of population gains, that means fewer seats for states that lost population or didn’t grow as fast.
The number of Electoral College votes each state has is also tied to its census numbers.
The statistical agency’s acting director, Ron Jarmin, will participate in a virtual news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. The results will also be posted on the Census Bureau’s website.
Last week, an agreement settled litigation between the agency and a coalition of local governments and civil rights groups. It requires the bureau to provide regular updates to the civil rights groups and local governments on the quality of the data used for drawing congressional and legislative districts, and it resolves a lawsuit that forced an extension of the nation’s headcount after the former Trump administration tried to cut it short.
