PIERRE, SD – A delay in delivering 2020 Census numbers to the states could cause problems in meeting deadlines for redistricting.
Senator Jim Bolin of Canton, who is on this years redistricting committee, says a lot will have to be done quickly. “There’s going to have to be a tremendous amount of work done in September, October and the early part of November to complete the process, to have a special session (which I would anticipate in November), and then be delivered to the Governor and signed before the December 1 deadline, which is a part of the South Dakota constitution. It’s just going to be a full-time job in September, October and the first part of November.”
Bolin says they will get some information later this spring. “It’s my understanding we’ll get our state number towards the end of April, which is the total population number for the state. But the breakdown numbers for the counties, townships, and municipalities, those will probably not come until late August or early September.”
Bolin says they can start some preliminary work before the official numbers come in. “You can do some estimating based on census estimates that are out on the internet. But you won’t be able to finalize a plan until you get all that actual raw data. So you can begin the process but you won’t be able to get into the nuts and bolts of it until you get all the data for each county, township and municipality.”
Bolin also served on the committee that redrew election boundaries in 2011.
