The first real population numbers have been released by the U.S. Census Bureau giving us a view of population shifts reflected in the 2010 Census.
One major use for decennial census data is for geographically defining state legislative districts and ward boundaries, a “redistricting” process that begins in 2011. The census data allow state officials to realign congressional and state legislative districts in their states, and the Board of Aldermen to redraw city ward maps, taking into account population shifts since the last census and assuring equal representation for their constituents in compliance with the “one-person, one-vote” principle of the 1965 Voting Rights Act
While the State of Missouri did see a population increase over the past 10 years (7%), the increase was not as great as the overall U.S. population growth. As a result, Missouri will lose a Congressional seat.
