What is the Census? (In Spanish) Why is it important?
People who live in Oregon could miss out on a lot if everyone is not counted in the Census. Oregon could lose out on the political representation it deserves. And people and communities could be denied money that they need for schools, community health care, jobs, and transportation.
In 2016, Oregon received more than $13 billion from federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 Census. Oregon can’t afford to miss out!
2020 Census Timeline:
January through March—Education and Awareness:
● Census Bureau ad campaign goes live.
● Census Bureau begins enumeration in Remote Alaska in January 21.
● Stakeholders educate communities about the census and how they will be invited
to respond (educational events, town halls, census awareness promotional content
focusing on hard-to-count neighborhoods). Events will include a focus on
encouraging eligible households to respond during the self-response period.
● Stakeholders deploy and educate communities about their “Get out the Count” plan (e.g., where census kiosks will be, how you are supporting communities, and what they can expect from you).
● Stakeholder groups will have “census weeks of action” for specific communities.
Mid-March through April 30: Self-Response Operation: (PEAK CENSUS OUTREACH EFFORTS)
● Census Bureau ad campaign drives a “respond-to-the-census” message.
● Census Bureau mails or hand-delivers census materials to almost all households,
which will have an opportunity to respond online, by telephone, or using a paper
questionnaire. (See the operations section of this toolkit for more information.)
● April 1, 2020 is Census Day—a reference date for the enumeration.
● Census Bureau enumerates group living facilities and transitory locations.
● Stakeholder groups may be going door-to-door in your community.
● The Census Bureau’s ROAM map10 and the CUNY hard-to-count map11 will display
daily self-response rates by census tract.
● Stakeholders may provide devices or internet access to support people filling out
their census questionnaire.
Mid-May through July: Nonresponse Follow-Up (NRFU)/Census enumerators go
door-to-door:
● Census Bureau ad campaign drives “reminder, return your form” message
● Census Bureau enumerators going door to door.
● “Reminder” outreach to key hard-to-count neighborhoods.
● Census education about what enumerators look like and why they are going
door-to-door.
Potential Impact of Citizenship Question Controversy
The 2020 Census will not include a citizenship question. However, people in immigrant
households and communities may have heard about the Trump administration’s attempts to include a question about citizenship and legal status on the 2020 Census at the last minute. That effort was opposed by members of the Census Counts coalition and other groups who believed that such a question, especially in a climate of hostility toward immigrants, could discourage participation.
In June 2019, the Supreme Court stopped the Secretary of Commerce (who oversees the Census Bureau) from moving forward with the citizenship question, finding that the administration’s justification for asking the question was not credible.
This was a major victory, but some advocates worry that the controversy has already harmed the credibility of the 2020 Census, particularly in Latino, Asian, and other immigrant communities. The NALEO Education Fund’s ¡Hágase Contar! (Make Yourself Count!) Campaign is operating a toll-free bilingual hotline 877-EL-CENSO (877-352-3676) as part of its national effort to overcome the effort to suppress the count of Latinos.
The 2020 Census is right around the corner. The information it collects will have substantial and lasting impacts on the nation’s governance and economy. In particular, data derived from the decennial census are used by the federal and state governments to guide where public funds are allocated. A lot of funds. Census-derived data are used to annually distribute approximately $900 billion to states, counties, cities, and households.
To ensure that each community receives its fair share of federal funds, an accurate 2020 Census is necessary. So that communities across the U.S. can better understand how an accurate census affects their receipt of federal assistance funds, this brief describes the geographic allocation of five census-guided federal programs important to local communities.
Why it is critical to get the 2020 Census right:
- Getting an accurate count in the 2020 Census is critical to all communities within the United States.
- Millions of people, including community groups, local officials, and businesses rely on the Census to provide accurate, comprehensive data about our nation that impacts us all:
- Census data is the basis for fair political representation, and this data is used to draw district lines reflective of the population.
- Community leaders use Census data to allocate resources, including public safety, planning and disaster response, education needs, hospitals, assistance for veterans, and transportation.
- Business leaders use Census data to make investment decisions that boost economic growth.
- We only get one chance every ten years to get this right. The Census must be done fairly and accurately.
What is the League doing to ensure the most accurate count in the 2020 Census?
- The League has a three-phase plan around census: Education, Get-Out-The-Count, and Watchdog activities.
- In the months leading up to Census Day—April 1, 2020—Leagues around the country will be in communities sharing information and resources about how to participate and the importance of the U.S. Census.
- On Census Day, the League will work in coalition to help get everyone counted, are working in Complete Count Committees to share out information about low-reporting areas and communicate where additional support is needed.
- Once the Census count wraps up in the Summer of 2020, the League will remain in communities and will act as a watchdog for any issues from the ground.