Today, the U.S. Census Bureau will release demographic data from the 2020 Census that will paint a detailed picture of America’s diverse communities. States and localities use the data to redraw federal, state, and local legislative district boundaries that will shape each state’s elections for the next decade. 

The U.S. Census Bureau will deliver the data in a raw format, known as “legacy data,” which was used in the 2010 and 2000 Census. By September 30, the Census Bureau will make the data available online in a more user-friendly format.

The data release provides the first detailed look in ten years at the demographic characteristics of communities. 

Read more about the Connecticut General Assembly’s “2021 Redistricting Project” here.

Statement from Common Cause in Connecticut Executive Director Cheri Quickmire

Today’s release of redistricting data allows Connecticut to begin the process of drawing new voting district maps that will shape our elections for the next ten years. 

While this process has historically been conducted behind closed doors with minimal public input in the way of local public hearings, 2021 is our year to flip the script and ensure that the voices of our communities, particularly those of Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities of color are at the center of the conversation. 

When redistricting is fair, transparent, and includes everyone, our maps are more likely to be representative and secure free, fair, and responsive elections for the next decade. That is why we are advocating for a process that prioritizes opportunities for meaningful public input, public access to the redistricting data used by mapmakers, and a Connecticut, mapmaking process conducted openly rather than behind closed doors. 

Fair maps mean the politicians must work to earn every vote in every corner of the district because we the people get to choose our elected representatives, not the other way around.

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