The Census Bureau Should Address Challenges from the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Ahead of the 2030 Census

For our audit of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) results, our objective was to assess the validity of those results as they related to overcounts and undercounts. We found that I. Operational disruptions and mitigations in response to missing data increased uncertainty in PES estimates; II. A smaller-than-anticipated sample size contributed to increased uncertainty in PES estimates; and III. The bureau did not carry out quality control processes for PES operations as planned.