Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson administered the first United States Census in 1790. The census has been conducted every ten years since then in accordance with Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. Accurate population figures are necessary for determining each state’s representation in Congress.

Census data is also important for the process of redistricting. In Nebraska, that is a task that must be completed every decade in the year following the federal census. Each congressional district in Nebraska has to be drawn to contain the same number of people, with very little deviation from that standard. State legislative districts must be redrawn to account for shifts in population. 

In redistricting years, the Unicameral creates a Redistricting Committee to guide this process and to propose maps to the rest of the senators for their consideration. I am serving on the Redistricting Committee this year along with eight other senators. Senator Lou Ann Linehan is the chair of the committee. The redistricting debate is always a contentious one, in part because the stakes are so high. People’s representation in their government is on the line, and we all have to live with the results for ten years.

Under normal circumstances, redistricting happens during the regular legislative session. However, this year is different. For the first time in American history, the United States Census results were not delivered to the states on time. Federal law requires that these results go to the states no later than April 1st. We still do not have the data. As of right now, the federal government is in open and notorious violation of federal law. We do think we know when the numbers are coming, though. Secretary of State Bob Evnen and his office have successfully gotten a written commitment from the Census Bureau to deliver the raw 2020 census data to Nebraska no later than August 16th.

We are required to conduct elections next year. Nebraska law requires that we use district boundaries based on the new census data to do that. Because the census results will not be delivered until after the Unicameral adjourns for the year, Governor Ricketts will have to call us back for a special session for redistricting this fall. My office has been working with the Secretary of State to adjust election law deadlines to accommodate our later start this year. Even after the Legislature does its work, county election officials and those in other political subdivisions have to redraw their own local boundaries. 

The unprecedented late delivery of census data presents a tough challenge. I am confident that if the Census Bureau gets us the numbers in mid-August as promised, we can get the job done. Our election officials in Nebraska have done a tremendous job over the last year. I believe we are on-track to get the new districts into place for next year’s elections.