Make Your Voice Count
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | March 29th, 2020
I thought I would step away from the Coronavirus this week and talk about the census. By this time each one of you should have received an invitation to respond online to the 2020 Census. April 1, 2020 is Census Day. When completing the census, you will include everyone living in your home on April 1, 2020. I completed mine this weekend and it was really easy. It took less than 15 minutes.
I was given a handout titled Census 101: What you need to know.
Everyone counts – The census counts every person living in the U.S. once, only once, and in the right place.
It’s about fair representation – Every 10 years the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how may seats each states gets. I completed the census because I want my voice to count.
It’s in the constitution – The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The first census was in 1790.
It’s about $675 billion – The distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds, grants and support to states, counties and communities are based on census date – that money is spent on schools, hospital, roads, public works and other vital programs. I believe this is one of the most important reasons to fill out the census.
It’s is about redistricting – After each decade’s census, states officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for population shifts.
Taking part is your civic duty – Completing the census is mandatory: it’s a way to participate in our democracy and say “I COUNT!”
Census data are being used all around you:
- Residents use the census to support community initiatives
involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy.
- Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices, and stores, which create jobs.
- Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness.
- Real estate developers use the census to build new homes to revitalize old neighborhoods.
YOUR PRIVACY IS PROTECTED – It is against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you and can only be used to produce statistics. Do not be afraid to fill out the census.
THE CENSUS WILL NEVER ASK FOR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, BANK OR CREDIT CARD NUMBERS, MONEY OR DONATIONS, OR ANYTHING RELATED TO POLITICAL PARTIES.
I would never ask you to do something that I have not done. I completed the census and I hope you will. Find the letter or postcard you received. Within the note, you will have your census ID and then log in at my2020census.gov. They are hoping that you will respond by April 1. If you did not get the note, log in and there is still a way for you to count.
I pray that each of you and those that hold your affection are in a safe place. Please listen to your local officials. For up to date information on the coronavirus, click here.
