Utah v. Evans,
536 U.S. 452 (2002), was a
United States Supreme Court case regarding the use of certain statistical techniques in the
census.
In instances where the Census Bureau remained unsure of the number of residents at an address after a field visit, the Bureau inferred its population characteristics from its nearest similar neighbor, a practice called "hot-deck
imputation." In the 2000 census, hot-deck imputation resulted in Utah receiving one less
Representative in Congress than it would have without the practice.
Utah sought an
injunction requiring the Bureau to revise the census results without the use of imputation.
North Carolina, which stood to lose a Representative under such an injunction, intervened in the case, disputing Utah's
standing to sue. The Utah federal district court refused to grant the injunction.
Utah argued that the Bureau's use of imputation violated 13 U.S.C. §195, which prohibits use of 'sampling' for apportioning Representatives among states. It further argued that imputation did not satisfy the
United States Constitution's requirement of an "actual enumeration" for the purpose of apportioning Representatives. The Supreme Court rejected Utah's arguments and affirmed the district court's opinion.
See also
Category:United States Supreme Court casesCategory:United States electoral redistricting case lawCategory:2002 in case law
