With tighter census deadline, advocates worry Mainers most in need won’t be counted

James Myall, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the earlier deadline means certain populations in the state are more likely to be undercounted.

“The folks who are most at risk of being left out tend to be low-income people, people of color especially, young children and the parents of young children, especially single parents,” Myall said.

Some of the reasons that those groups are less likely to fill out the census, he said, are that they are often overwhelmed with surviving day-to-day, language barriers and the higher potential of not having a permanent address.

Myall said an undercount could have significant consequences for communities who need the federal funds determined by the count.

Click here to read the full story, first published August 10, 2020, in Beacon.