NCLM Volume 70, Issue 4, 2020

NCLM.ORG 29 a much higher percentage this time around than they had in the past,” Coats said. The worry with that is North Carolina has been growing rapid- ly, measuring as the fourth-fastest in the U.S. The data used in these guesses might be out of date or not reflective of actual characteristics. That leaves some question as to whether we’ll have an accurate picture of who and how populous we are. That’s important when it comes time to redraw electoral districts, one of the foremost projects following a decennial census. Coats and his counterparts are keeping their eyes open for clarifying info, and he encourages local government officials to likewise stay tuned. The Census Bureau is in the tabulation phase now and may cross into 2021 with it. Redistricting data is supposed to be available starting April 1, 2021, which will give local governments a look at population figures at the county and municipal levels. The Office of State Budget and Management is currently working on a webinar to educate local officials on a tool that many munic- ipalities used after the previous census to better their numbers, and that’s the Count Question Resolution Program, or CQR. It al- lows jurisdictions to challenge their recorded population total and submit evidence showing why it’s worthy of review. There’s no cost to the local government for entering the process, but it can be time-consuming in the production of case-supporting information. Coats also pointed out the new implementation of extra data- protection measures expected to impact aspects of the process. Census 2020: What Now? Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau. North Carolina has been growing rapidly , measuring as the fourth- fastest in the U.S. continues on page 30 Photo Credit: Ben Brown.