The White House doesn't think you should count. Let's prove them wrong
The federal government has announced that it will wrap up the Census count a month earlier than planned, which increases the risk that many people will remain uncounted in the midst of a pandemic that has made it more difficult to reach people, especially those in hard-to-count populations.
In order to get counted, you now have to respond to the Census by Sept. 30, rather than Oct. 31.
This latest news comes after President Trump tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, only to have it rejected by the courts. Critics say cutting the Census short is another way to make sure people of color aren’t counted.
So how should we in Sacramento respond? We need to make sure that we get counted and that all of our friends and family members get counted as well. Remember, the Census cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home or your business— even to law enforcement authorities.
It’s easy and takes just a few minutes. Visit the U.S. Census website to fill out your form online. Phone lines are also set up for you to respond in English, Spanish and other languages. Find the right number for your language here.
Getting counted means Sacramento will receive more funding from the federal government for housing for the homeless, for schools, building roads, for feeding seniors and all sorts of other public benefits. Getting a full count also means that we will have as many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives as we deserve.
The U.S. Constitution requires a count every 10 years of every person living in the United States, regardless of their age, sex, employment or citizenship. This includes children and even babies.
During the pandemic, having an accurate count of the people living in Sacramento could also mean the difference between getting and not getting enough doses of a vaccine for Covid-19 when it becomes available, experts say.
With a large immigrant population and relatively high poverty, Sacramento County is considered the eighth hardest to count in California, according to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
Nonetheless, residents of Sacramento County are doing a good job of responding so far. As of the end of July, 69.3 percent of residents had completed their Census questionnaire, the eighth best rate in California. That compares to a 70.1 percent self-response rate in the 2010 Census.
Visit NorCal Census to find out what you can do to help improve Census response in the Sacramento area.
