During a recent government meeting, officials discussed the challenges faced during the 2020 census, which was conducted under the Trump administration. The chairman highlighted ongoing demographic shifts in the United States, noting that people are moving for various reasons, including tax policies in blue states and restrictive laws in red states. Some young women, for example, are leaving red states due to new anti-abortion laws.

The meeting emphasized that the census faced unprecedented difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many census activities were disrupted as public health concerns led to lockdowns and travel restrictions. This made it hard for census workers to reach certain communities. Issues like double counting also arose, as people moved in with family or friends to avoid the virus, leading to confusion about their primary residences.

Officials acknowledged that overcounts and undercounts are common problems in census data, especially during challenging times. The pandemic, along with natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, further complicated the counting process. Budget cuts in previous years limited the Census Bureau's ability to conduct thorough tests before the census.

Despite these challenges, officials stated that the errors seen in the census results are typical for such difficult circumstances. They also pointed out that conspiracy theories surrounding the census often stem from those looking to create division rather than improve the process. The post-enumeration survey, which aims to assess the accuracy of the census, only includes a small sample of the population and is designed to help improve future census efforts.