The Trump administration is proposing a dramatic overhaul around the once-a-decade U.S. Census head count that could leave out millions of immigrants based on status and key racial and ethnic data, jeopardizing the allocation of resources and the country’s voting map. The Census Bureau announced Wednesday potential changes would exclude undocumented immigrants and anyone without permanent status and make the survey more “color blind." Numbers from the questionnaire are typically used to determine congressional districts and Electoral College votes. Racial and ethnic data has been used to look at issues in communities of color such as discrimination, wealth gaps and crime rates.

New data show the number of ballots rejected for late postmarks has soared in the vote-by-mail states of Washington and Oregon. The figures highlight concerns about recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations ahead of this fall’s pivotal general election, especially in the roughly half-dozen states that vote entirely or mostly by mail. The struggling agency has been consolidating its operations, emphasizing regional hubs in an effort to save billions of dollars. Some U.S. senators and election officials have warned that the changes could delay the application of postmarks and prevent otherwise valid ballots from being counted. They say that prediction is being borne out.

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FILE - Election worker Wendy Wimer looks through vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary election, March 12, 2024, at the Clark County Elections Office in Vancouver, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)