Cutting the U.S. Census time frame process could result in an inaccurate count, a Government Accountability Office said in a report published Thursday.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the Census Bureau to delay its 2020 operations. Results are now expected in December as required, though compressed timeframes, untested procedures and public safety challenges could pose issues.
“These delays, the resulting compressed timeframes, implementation of untested procedures, and additional challenges such as COVID-19 could adversely impact downstream operations, escalate census costs and undermine the overall quality of the count,” the report said.
Data collection for the U.S. Census is set to wrap up by Sept. 30, though the Office of the Inspector General this week said the bureau still lacks at least 25 percent of the door knockers it needs for the 2020 census.
The bureau needed more than 300,000 census takers by the end of August, but by mid-month just 220,000 were trained and ready to work, according to the watchdog agency. Thirty-seven of the nation's 248 census offices aren't even halfway toward reaching their hiring goals, the office said.
"Without taking timely action, the bureau is at risk of not conducting a complete and accurate 2020 census," the memorandum from the Office of Inspector General stated.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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