Important 2026 Milestones

The planning phase continues with refinements to the 2030 Census Operational Plan based on test results and external challenges. Ideally, the Census Bureau will continue testing and partner consultations to effectively implement revisions to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) race and ethnicity data standards.

  1. February 3: 2026 Census Test is significantly scaled back. The Department of Commerce reduced the number of test sites from six to two — Huntsville, Ala., and Spartanburg, S.C. — while adding plans to test using U.S. Postal Service staff as census takers. According to a Federal Register notice published on February 3, 2026, the scaled-back test will use an English-only American Community Survey questionnaire that includes a citizenship question, will not include Group Quarters (such as prisons and college dorms) and will not use a national sample.
    • Why it matters: The revised, scaled-back version of the 2026 Census Test that includes a citizenship question–even in test form–signals the administration’s potential intention to alter the 2030 Census questionnaire. A citizenship question has historically suppressed response rates for immigrant households, including U.S. citizens in mixed-status families. Reducing test sites from six to two also limits the geographic and demographic range of what the test can reveal about improving methods for hard-to-count populations. Additionally, the use of postal workers as census takers raises confidentiality concerns.
    • More information: For a full scope of these changes and their potential impact on the 2030 Census, review The Leadership Conference’s Comments on the 2026 Census Field Test Peak Data Collection.
  2. March 5: 2026 Census Test Federal Register Notice comment period closes.
  3. March 27: Federal agencies’ deadline to submit implementation plans of OMB’s race and ethnicity data standards extended by one year, from March 28, 2026 to March 28, 2027.
  4. April 20: LUCA Operation Federal Register Notice comment period closes.
  5. May: Response period for the 2026 Census Test begins.
  6. June 1 through August 31: Census takers, including postal workers, visit households at test sites that haven’t self-responded.
  7. August 2026: Census Test concludes.
  8. Ongoing: American Community Survey.

Update: In September 2026, The Census Bureau proposed rules regarding residence, race, and ethnicity that were not an anticipated milestone for 2026 or any year in preparation for the 2030 decennial count. These rules, if adopted, will harm the goal of a complete, accurate count. Learn more about this issue and the immediate actions you can take prior to Nov. 2, 2026, here. 

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Here is your roadmap for census-related actions in 2026:

➜ Begin advocacy efforts and conversations with elected state officials to secure funding for a statewide 2030 Census GOTC campaign, which should include support for community-based organizations in 2028, 2029, and 2030.

➜ Identify at least one staff person dedicated to census issues part-time.

➜ Begin reviewing 2020 Census evaluations and 2020 Census Barriers, Attitudes and Motivators Study (CBAMS) results to inform 2030 Census planning at the local level.

  • If available, review 2025 HTOPS results related to public perception of the census, previously tested through CBAMS, to inform development of an initial 2030 GOTC and advocacy plan.

➜ Start to gauge interest in 2030 Census involvement within your professional network and build out a strategy to bring in key partners for census engagement, such as funders, elected officials, educators, community-based organizations, advocacy organizations, experts in relevant sciences (e.g., demographers and sociologists), local service providers, businesses, faith leaders and others.

➜ Identify potential community partners to form a coalition led by community-based organizations to engage with the Census Bureau and census champions.

➜ Identify geographic areas and specific population groups (such as communities of color, people with disabilities, and immigrants) at greatest risk of being undercounted to inform 2030 Census campaign strategy and funding decisions. 

  • Review HTC maps and available Census Bureau resources to inform outreach strategies.

➜ Identify state philanthropy organizations that are providing aligned and/or joint funding for community-based organizations in your state.

➜ Offer broad briefings/webinars for funders, cosponsored by interested affinity groups, to get buy-in for engagement in 2030 Census GOTC efforts.

➜ Expand LUCA operation education – Since the Census Bureau is planning to eliminate most pre-census address canvassing, LUCA participation becomes even more critical. 

  • Use the LUCA Resource Guide – This resource, developed by the 2030 Census National LUCA Working Group, helps community stakeholders understand more about the LUCA operation and how to support participating tribal/state/local governments. 
  • Host a dedicated LUCA briefing for local government and tribal partners emphasizing the higher stakes for the 2030 Census and the importance of LUCA and updating the census address list.

➜ Monitor testing and planning decisions for the 2030 Census, educate communities about the importance of the ACS, and support efforts to adequately fund the Census Bureau.

➜ Monitor OMB race and ethnicity standards implementation efforts, if any. 

  • Educate communities about the new combined race/ethnicity question and new MENA category.

➜ Begin preparing advocacy materials for the April 2027 “topics to Congress” deadline. This is the first official opportunity to see whether a citizenship question and/or OMB standards will be added to the census questionnaire.

➜ Optional: Partner with local organizations and community leaders to advance proclamations or ordinances that designate the census as a priority and secure funding for local census infrastructure and outreach. Refer to Project On Government Oversight (POGO) factsheets to understand how the census shapes funding in your state.

These are just some of the census-related advocacy actions your organization should take in 2025 to lay early groundwork for a fair, complete, and accurate count in 2030. It’s never too early to get started.