Tell the Census Bureau what you think of its proposed census rules before November 2

On September 10, 2026, the Census Bureau proposed two new rules for the decennial census: one on who counts as a usual resident of a place, and one on which demographic questions the census may ask. The public comment period, first set to close on October 13, was extended on October 5 and now closes on Monday, November 2, 2026.

Here is what the proposal says, as written in the Federal Register. A person's usual residence would be where they lawfully spent the most days between January 3 and April 1 of the census year, supported by tax records. Foreign citizens who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents would not be counted for the apportionment of House seats. And census questionnaires could not ask about race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. The rule says it would not limit those questions on the American Community Survey or other surveys.

Census numbers decide how federal money is shared and how seats in Congress are divided. Scholars and groups who circulated this call to comment warn that the residence rules could miscount people who move, rural residents, college students, and service members, and that dropping race and ethnicity questions would remove data that public health, civil rights, and research depend on. Those are their warnings about the proposal, not findings in the rule itself.

Your own words matter. The organizations behind the Hands Off Our Census comment guide say identical form letters may be grouped together, so a comment that says who you are and how census data touches your life or work counts for more. Comments become part of the public record.