The U.S. Census Bureau released apportionment counts on April 26, kickstarting what is sure to be a tumultuous redistricting process.
Apportionment refers to the process of dividing the 435 seats in the House of Representatives among all 50 states based on population determined by the 2020 census. This only happens once every 10 years, and it has the potential to reshape politics. After apportionment numbers are determined, states will begin the redistricting process of redrawing Congressional and legislative districts, but more granular data won’t be available until later this summer. Redistricting will impact just about everybody in the country.
The country’s population grew from about 309 million to 331 million — the slowest growth rate the nation has seen since 1940. The gains and losses by states for the next decade were smaller than most observers expected.
In the above video, POLITICO reporter Zach Montellaro explains what you need to know about the apportionment numbers released earlier this year and what they could mean for both political parties and its voters.