The Make It Count Act would change how the federal government collects and uses census data for congressional apportionment. Beginning with the 2030 decennial census, the bill requires the Census Bureau to include a citizenship-status question that distinguishes between U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals who are not citizens, lawful noncitizens, and unlawfully present noncitizens. It also requires the Secretary of Commerce to publish state-level counts for each of those categories within 120 days after the census is completed.
The bill would further change apportionment law so that Representatives and Electoral College votes are based on the number of U.S. citizens rather than the total population, excluding noncitizens from the apportionment base. In addition, it would limit states to one congressional redistricting after each apportionment, unless a court orders another redraw to comply with the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act. The bill states that this restriction does not affect state or local election districting.
Its impact would be significant for federal census administration, congressional representation, and redistricting rules. It would amend Title 13 of the U.S. Code and the 1929 apportionment statute, and it would alter the legal basis for allocating House seats and electoral votes starting with the 2030 census cycle. It would also create a new federal limit on mid-decade or repeated congressional redistricting, while preserving court-ordered redistricting and leaving state and local districting untouched.
Because no committee transcripts or votes are provided, there is no recorded legislative debate or vote history to gauge sentiment. Based on the bill’s subject matter, it is likely to be politically contentious, especially on issues of immigration, census methodology, representation, and partisan redistricting. Supporters would likely frame it as improving accuracy and limiting redraws, while opponents would likely argue that excluding noncitizens from apportionment and requiring citizenship questions could reduce participation, distort representation, or raise constitutional and voting-rights concerns.
Impact
The bill would amend federal census and apportionment law, including 13 U.S.C. § 141 and 2 U.S.C. § 2a, to require citizenship-status reporting and to exclude noncitizens from the population count used to apportion House seats and Electoral College votes. It would also add a federal restriction on states conducting more than one congressional redistricting after apportionment, subject to court-ordered exceptions for constitutional or Voting Rights Act compliance.
Sentiment
No committee discussion or vote data are available, so there is no direct evidence of legislative sentiment in the record provided. The bill’s provisions suggest a likely polarized response: supporters may favor the citizenship question, citizen-based apportionment, and redistricting limits, while critics may view the measure as anti-immigrant, legally vulnerable, or as altering representation rules in a way that disadvantages certain states and communities.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely the citizenship question on the census, the exclusion of noncitizens from apportionment, and the restriction on repeated congressional redistricting. Immigration advocates, civil-rights groups, and states with large noncitizen populations would likely object to the census and apportionment changes, while proponents would argue they improve accuracy and ensure representation is tied to citizens. The redistricting limit could also draw opposition from states and litigants concerned about flexibility, though the bill preserves court-ordered redraws for constitutional and Voting Rights Act reasons.
Coretta Scott King Mid-Decade Redistricting Prohibition Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a state where the congressional districts have been redistricted after a decennial census from carrying out another redistricting until after the next apportionment of Representatives following a decennial census, unless a court requires the state to conduct a subsequent redistricting to comply with the Constitution or enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bill is applicable to any congressional redistricting which occurs after the regular decennial census conducted during 2020.