Census delay could put off new voting districts, primaries

DAVID A. LIEB and MIKE SCHNEIDER

Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The U.S. Census Bureau needs more time to wrap up the once-a-decade count because of the coronavirus, opening the possibility of delays in drawing new legislative districts that 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 number of people counted and their demographics guide how voting districts for the U.S. House and state legislatures are redrawn every 10 years. The monthslong delay in census data could make a divisiv...