From the Census to Gerrymandering by Henry Mantel
“[ An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” - U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2 The U.S. Constitution mandates that the federal government must take a census every ten years. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the census in years ending in zero, on April 1, Census Day. The first census was in 1790, led by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson during President Washington's first term. The population of the United States was 3,929,625. In 1964, in the case of Reynolds v. Sims , the Supreme Court ruled that electoral districts must contain roughly the same number of people (the U.S. Senate is the exception.) Districts must be redrawn to accommodate a constantly changing population in a process called redistricting or reapportionment. The data gathered during the census is essential for redistricting. Most jurisd