Census delay could put off new voting districts, primaries

FILE - In this Sunday, April 5, 2020 file photo, An envelope containing a 2020 census letter mailed to a U.S. resident is shown in Detroit. A top lawmaker says the Trump administration is seeking to delay deadlines for the 2020 census because of the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Monday, April 13, 2020 that administration officials also were asking that the timetable for releasing apportionment and redistricting data used to draw congressional and legislative districts be pushed back. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The U.S. Census Bureau wants more time to wrap up the once-a-decade count because of the coronavirus, and that could delay the divisive process of drawing new legislative districts.

Redistricting could help determine what political party is in power, what laws pass or fail and whether communities of color get a voice in their states. The census data guides that process, and a delay could postpone some primary elections.

The Census Bureau wants to push back the deadline for turning over information to the states from the end of March 2021 to the end of July 2021. Congress must approve that.