Now that the election is over, we need to return to issues like the U.S. Census

The dust is finally settling on the 2020 election in Kentucky and with that, public focus should shift squarely to navigating the challenges that still lie ahead. However, that will only be possible if Kentucky has the right resources to meet those obstacles, something that could be in jeopardy if the results of this year’s Census don’t get an accurate count for our state.

Earlier this fall, response collection for the Census wrapped up after a Supreme Court decision allowed it to conclude early. However, the end of counting does not mean the end of the Census. Officials still need to work through the findings they have and make sure everything is accurate. However, after counting ended, officials were only given until the end of the year to go through that process, meaning they only had about half the time they usually do for reporting Census results.

Unfortunately, due to problems caused by the pandemic, the chances are higher than normal that the Census results gathered so far will be inaccurate, and Census workers simply do not have enough time to verify those responses. With low self-response rates (only about two-thirds of Kentucky’s total enumeration came from self-reported Census responses), Census workers need to do Nonresponse Follow-up, gathering the information they need from either old records or second-hand interviews.

Of course, this only becomes more challenging in cases where someone may have moved after April 1, which serves as the reference point for Census responses. In rural areas where individuals are harder to reach, things are even more difficult and the chances of an undercount begin to climb drastically.

The Census is responsible for deciding how our federal government allocates more than $1 trillion in federal dollars, and if Kentucky’s population is undercounted by just one percent in this year’s Census, we could lose almost $45 million every year in education, health care, and jobs program funding. Those are our hard-earned tax dollars that would be going to other parts of the country rather than coming back home to help our state.

Additionally, proposed federal COVID-19 relief packages will likely be tied to the final Census results and if we are undercounted, we will not be well-equipped to recover from this pandemic and keep our economy and our state moving forward.

The Census does not just determine where federal funding goes, either. The results of the Census are used to figure out how many members each state will have in the House of Representatives, as well as how many votes we have in the Electoral College. An undercount means we could lose representation in Washington while conservative rural voices continue to be overpowered by larger, more liberal states.

Thankfully, conservative leaders in the Senate have recognized this issue and are working on a solution. By supporting new legislation proposed by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) to extend the Census reporting deadline beyond Dec. 31, they are ensuring that states like Kentucky will receive a fair shake when the Census results are submitted. Now, I trust that our voices in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul, will help push these efforts across the finish line and make sure that states like ours get the attention we need in the federal government.

With the election done, it is time to look ahead. In order to be sure that every state is ready to face the challenges of the next ten years, our lawmakers need to advance legislation that will extend the Census reporting deadline. It will show that they realize its fundamental, Constitutional importance, and that we as a nation are ready to move forward.

Rep. Derek Lewis, R-Lewis, represents the 90th House District of Clay, Laurel and part of Leslie counties.