The botched Iowa caucus may have been a cautionary tale on the perils of using previously unused technology for a grand civic participatory event. Some worry that the 2020 census has that same potential for mayhem, on a much grander scale.
FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2020, file photo, U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham testifies during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The bureau says it has developed two secure data-collection systems, so that if one goes down during the census count, the other can substitute. Other mechanisms are in place to prevent failure and backup plans in case the worst happens. “All systems are go," Dillingham said.
A government watchdog agency, the Census Bureau’s inspector general and some lawmakers have grown concerned about whether the systems are ready for prime time. Most U.S. residents can start answering the questionnaire in March. The bureau says it has developed two secure data-collection systems, so that if one goes down, the other can substitute. Other mechanisms are in place to prevent failure and to back up essential functions.For the past three years, the Government Accountability Office has placed the census on its list of high-risk programs, mainly because it is relying on technology that has not been used before.
Then there’s the mobile app for census takers who will be sent out to visit the homes of residents who have not filled out the forms by May. Bureau officials are still working to find out why the app sometimes needs to be restarted or reinstalled for it to work properly, according to a GAO report released this week.
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