A political maneuver

I believe including a question about citizenship undermines the constitutional requirement to conduct an accurate census. This political maneuver is a dangerous attempt to further intimidate minority and immigrant communities. Individuals can face up to a

$500 fine for refusal or neglect to accurately answer census questions.

While the bureau cannot share individual-level data with federal agencies, it can release neighborhood-level data about specific population groups. In the past this information was used to intern U.S. citizens of Japanese descent. The possession of this data threatens the safety of our communities of color.

The resulting undercount would affect political representation, redistricting, federal fund allocation, and the way the government collects and analyzes data for the next decade. This puts all recipients of federally funded programs at risk. Reapportionment, which determines the number of congressional seats allocated to each state, is calculated based on total residents, not just citizens.

In no way does the addition of a citizenship question protect or enhance the Voting Rights Act. Despite the mandate to undergo a legislative check on the addition of this question, the Census Bureau has provided no testing or evaluation for its justification. Inaccurate enumeration threatens a vital process to our democracy.

Since 2009, the League of Women Voters has been an official partner of the U.S. Census. As a member of the Washington County League of Women Voters, I strongly support our organization’s call on Congress to take action and correct this issue before it’s too late. BONNIE MILLER

Fayetteville