Census

On April 23, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Commerce v. New York, the case over whether the Trump administration will be allowed to include a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

"The citizenship question is a bald-faced attempt to racially rig the census, undercount communities of color and undermine fair representation which our democracy relies upon," said Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, a nonpartisan public interest group.

The partisan intent of the citizenship question is clear and Commerce v. New York presents a new opportunity for the Supreme Court, with newly appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh, to show that it is above partisanship. This case, coupled this term with Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek, the challenges to North Carolina’s and Maryland’s outrageous partisan gerrymanders, will give the court ample opportunity to show that it truly not a partisan branch of government.

Yes, it's April Fools, but the Census is far from an April fools joke.

Today, Common Cause, along with former elected and appointed Republican officials, filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in Commerce v. New York challenging the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 census. The government watchdog also launched the next phase in its “Count Me In 2020 Campaign” for a fair and accurate census. Common Cause called on its 1.12 million members to celebrate April 1, 2019 as a Census Day of Action by fighting for adequate census funding from our federal and state governments and getting involved in grassroots organizations who are dedicated to ensuring that everyone gets counted. Members across the country are calling their representatives in Congress to urge them to support the Census IDEA Act and to fully fund the 2020 census.

The policy brief was co-authored by Common Cause, State Innovation Exchange (SiX), and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Here you will find a selection of policy solutions, messaging guidance, and additional resources to support census preparation in your state. This brief is meant to serve as a starting point for thinking about census legislation and communication and is not meant to supersede direct discussions with local experts and advocates.