Numerous states and major cities, including California, Texas, and New York City, submitted last-minute requests to rectify their 2020 census data. These corrections pertain to population figures, which influence political representation and the allocation of trillions of dollars in federal funding. Around 200 correction requests were filed through Census Bureau programs designed to allow governments to review and amend their population totals.
While any resulting adjustments will only impact future population estimates used for federal funding distribution throughout the decade, they won't affect congressional seat apportionment or political redistricting data. This is significant given the current political climate where every demographic shift holds weight.
The reasons for these correction requests vary. California believes thousands of naval personnel aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln were incorrectly attributed to San Diego's population instead of National City's, due to the ship's docking location. Additionally, California claims nearly 10,000 college students and inmates were missed in the count due to pandemic-related closures.
California's rationale for delaying their filing was to allow local municipalities to submit their requests first. Similar issues arose in other locations. Illinois, citing a potential undercount of nearly 2% of its population, highlighted omissions in various group living situations like nursing homes and shelters. New Orleans pointed to over 1,000 potentially missed students at Tulane University and Southern University due to campus closures.
New York City believes around 1,300 residents, including those in a large jail and students in university dormitories, were overlooked. Texas requested a review of over 41,000 residents potentially missed in prisons, nursing homes, and student housing, citing the state's size and complexity as reasons for the delayed filing.
