The 2020 census was set to go into full swing right in the midst of the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. As required by the constitution the census is a count of every person living in the U.S. The results of the census determine two things, one is allocation of Congressional districts and representation, and the other is spending of over $800 billion in federal funds to health centers, schools, infrastructure and other essential services. This crisis only serves to highlight the need for a fair and accurate count.

If you’ve received a letter from the census and are able to, please respond back online and encourage your community (safely also online) to do so as well. You can also fill out the census on the phone. More detailed information on filling out the census is available here with information in 13 languages.

Normally to make sure that those who aren’t able to respond online or via the mail are able to, the census sends people directly into populations that are historically undercounted, including people of color, immigrants, young kids, impoverished people and more who are harder to reach. Because COVID-19 makes it dangerous for this in-person collection, the Census Bureau is asking to push back the deadlines of when the count needs to be completed.

As we move forward, the Census must be agile and flexible, committing to new ways of counting hard to reach populations. Since the Administration has been less than forthright in their management of the census thus far, we are calling on Congress to take an aggressive oversight role calling for transparency in methodology and timing – not truncating the census or using the COVID crisis to manipulate the census count. Please join with us, both in encouraging those you know to take the census, but also to advocate for the best count possible.