Chance to challenge 2020 census numbers is ending, with funding for states and cities at stake

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

The window for local, state and tribal governments to challenge their 2020 census figures closes after Friday, and with it the opportunity to correct mistakes in population totals that could cost them millions of dollars in federal funding. As of this week, almost 160 challenges had been filed through two programs the U.S. Census Bureau runs to give governments opportunities to appeal their numbers. The 2020 census numbers help determine how $2.8 trillion in federal government spending is distributed each year. The 2020 census had a special appeal process for group quarters such as dorms and prisons, because of the difficulty in counting people during the pandemic.