Final answer:
The census is a national count that occurs every ten years, impacting the distribution of the House of Representatives’ seats and the Electoral College votes per state. Changes in population can lead to states gaining or losing representatives and consequently, electors. Since electors determine the outcome of presidential elections, the census plays a significant role in U.S. politics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The census is a national count of all people residing in the United States, conducted every ten years, with the most recent one in 2020. This count is crucial as it informs the reallocation of the 435 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states based on population changes. States with growing populations may gain representatives, while those with shrinking populations may lose them. After the census, state legislatures typically redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts to reflect population shifts.
The number of electors each state has in the Electoral College is equal to the total number of their congressional delegation, which includes both senators and representatives. Therefore, as the population of a state changes, so too does its representation in the House, which can result in a change in the number of electors from that state. This indirectly affects presidential elections, as the Electoral College is used to elect the president, with a majority of 270 electoral votes needed for a candidate to win.
For instance, the state of Michigan once had 19 congressional districts, and now it has 14 due to population decreases, which also impacts the number of electors Michigan has in the Electoral College. Furthermore, while most states use a winner-take-all method for assigning electors, Nebraska and Maine distribute theirs proportionally, adding another layer of complexity to how census results impact the presidential election process.