“We understand that some people will be apprehensive about answering the citizenship question,” Virginia Hyer, a U.S. Census Bureau spokeswoman, wrote in an email to the Idaho Press.
Idaho Policy Institute Research Associate, Gabe Osterhout, was recently interviewed by the Idaho Press regarding the impact of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. Osterhout said he wasn’t sure if the average person understands the importance of correct Census data — or the negative impacts of an undercount. As a researcher for the Idaho Policy Institute, Osterhout uses census data about housing or demographics to help cities like Nampa create their comprehensive plans. It is an extremely useful resource and he fears that if the Census data is inaccurate, cities and counties in Idaho might not adequately plan for the future. Read the full article on the Idaho Press.