Examining the Jackson Co. Census Response

By Dylan Smith, Managing Editor • dylan@southerntorch.com

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Jackson County currently holds a 60.3% U.S. Census response rate, higher than the State of Alabama’s overall response rate of 59.9%.

Alabamians have responded to the decennial U.S. Census count at a lower rate than the national average of 62.3%.

If numbers continue to trend at current pace, it could spell potential trouble for Alabama’s share of federal dollars, as well as congressional representation.

It is projected that Alabama could lose one to two congressional seats to states with higher populations. 

However, Alabama may have received assistance from the White House earlier this week as President Trump signed a memorandum ordering the Census Bureau to exclude illegal aliens from the census count for purposes of congressional reapportionment. 

Many believe this helps Alabama’s chances at not losing more than one congressional seat to a state with a higher population of aliens residing in the U.S. illegally. 

Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) applauded the Trump Administration’s order.

“I enthusiastically support President Trump’s Executive Order that excludes illegal aliens from the part of the 2020 Census count that determines how many Congressmen and electoral college votes for president that each state has,” said Brooks.

“Including illegal aliens (who, by definition, are transients and not residents of any state) in the census apportionment count undermines Fourteenth Amendment equal protection “one-man, one-vote” principles.”

To participate in the 2020 United States Census count visit 2020census.gov.