Hey team -- it’s Claire, the targeting and analytics director at All On The Line. The Census Bureau is releasing redistricting data tomorrow, officially marking the start of map drawing!

We’ve heard a lot of great questions from folks at our Redistricting U trainings lately, so I wanted to take a few minutes to answer the most common questions about redistricting and census data.

1. When will census data be released?
Tomorrow! The Census Bureau will release redistricting data in the “legacy data” format on August 12. This batch of data includes the block-by-block data that will inform redistricting.

2. How does the redistricting data differ from the data that was released in April?
The Census Bureau’s April data was focused on apportionment numbers: the number of congressional seats each state will have for the next decade, as well as total population figures for each state. While the April release helped set the stage for redistricting, it did not include the granular, neighborhood-level data required to draw maps.

3. Will additional data be released in September?
The traditional data format, called the PL-94-171 file, will likely be released on September 30th. It will include the same data, but formatted differently. Many states will work to transform this week’s legacy redistricting data into a format that can be used with redistricting tools so that map-drawing can begin sooner.

4. When will maps be drawn?
The map-drawing process will move quickly! With the 2020 Census delay, many states are under tight constitutional or electoral deadlines for the upcoming 2022 elections. As a result, some maps could be passed as soon as September!

5. What should citizens look for in a map?
Redistricting is different in every state. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to map drawing, but it starts with a fair process -- that means a transparent process with robust public input like hearings and public comments. This gives people a chance to share input on how the maps can best represent their communities.

6. How can we get involved?
Join an upcoming Redistricting U training and ask questions of your own! Sign up here to learn about grassroots engagement tactics, using storytelling as an advocacy tool, and even the map-drawing process itself!

You can also make a donation to All On The Line to help fund the training and advocacy work empowering people to be effective advocates for their communities.

-- Claire Low
Director of Targeting and Analytics

All On The Line is the grassroots advocacy campaign supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund. Support our work to end gerrymandering.