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Census 2020: What You Need To Know And Why It’s Important


Mary Ann Miller (right) and others at Mondays Memorial Day observance at the Niles Veterans Memorial Waterfall, carried small American Flags in 2019. Tom Robb/Journal photo)

2020 marks a U.S. Census year, with the official Census Day on April 1; marking the first time  Census responses can be sent in online and the 24th time the country will participate in a Census since 1790.

What Is The Census And Who Gets Counted?

The U.S. Constitution mandates a count of the population, known as the Census, every 10 years in Article 1, Section 2. The count is done by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency.

The Census counts the entire population living in the 50 states, District of Columbia (D.C.) and the U.S.’ five territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Marina, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands); regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

People from a different country vacationing or on a work trip who are in the U.S. on Census Day are not counted. Americans deployed in the military and people experiencing homelessness are counted but in a different way than the average household.

The Census results give an indicator as to the nation’s population. However, the results determine legislation seats and policies, education, housing, transportation, employment, healthcare and hospitals, amongst other programs that affect daily lives.

Why The Count Is Important

Billions of dollars are dispersed throughout the nation based on the results of Census. For example, when households do not participate in the Census, they’re “left out” in the numbers which can affect how much funding goes to their local municipalities, hospitals, schools, etcetera.

According to a recent Census Bureau analysis from 2015, there are 132 federal programs that use the data to allocate more than $675 billion per year to cities, towns and states throughout the U.S. An accurate as possible Census count can help local municipalities receive money from the federal government to help fund infrastructure programs such as highways, road repairs and other programs such as Medicaid, National School Lunch Program, Head Start and special education grants.

The results provide a population count which is used to reapportion the House of Representatives and draw new district boundaries. The results are similarly used for state legislative seats and elected municipal positions such as city councils and school boards. This is important because no state has a permanent number of their congressional seats.

This information is also used by businesses and entrepreneurs, usually along with their own data, to determine whether or not they would want to open up shop or a new venture in a particular city, town or state. The Census also affects real estate developments, private investments in hospitals, clinics and warehouses.

How The Census Is Done

By April 1, every home in the U.S. will have ideally received an invitation to participate. Once you receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census, you will have three different options to respond: mail, phone or online.

To start the count, the Bureau first makes a list of every residence in the nation and five territories, this includes houses, condos, apartments, college dormitories, senior and assisted living homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, shelters, RV parks, campgrounds, marinas, hotels, amongst other locations where people live.

Once identified, the Bureau sends out questionnaires and asks that one member of every residence to complete the Census questionnaire by April and if the residence does not answer, the Bureau will follow up in person.

What’s On The 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census questionnaire will ask things such as the number of people living or staying in your home on April 1; whether the home is owned, rented, etc.; name, age, sex, birth day and race of each person in the home; amongst other questions.

New items on the questionnaire include options to write in your race. There is also an option under household relationship capategories which allows respondants to identify their relationship as same-sex husband/wife/spouse; same-sex unmarried partner; opposite-sex husband/wife/spouse; or oopposite-sex unmarried partner.

Last summer, the U.S. federal courts shut down the Trump administration from adding “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” on the questionnaire. There is still a citizenship question for households to complete in the American Community Survey and census forms for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Bureau can not give your answers to anyone as they are required by law to protect all of your information, this includes prohibiting the Bureau from sharing anything with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), until 72 years after the information is collected.

Important Dates And Time Periods

Starting this month, the Bureau will begin counting people living in rural Alaska. Throughout the month of April, Census takers will visit various colleges, senior centers and other locations where large groups of people live. By May, the Census Bureau will visit homes who haven’t responded to the Census to ensure the home’s inhabitants are counted. By December 31, the Bureau will give the counts to the president and congress, which is when the public can expect to see the final results as well.

The closest U.S Census Bureau near the Journal coverage area is at 8001 Lincoln Ave. in Skokie.

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