The 2020 Census counts the population in the United States and five U.S. territories. A complete and accurate count is critical for our community because the results will affect community funding, congressional representation, and more for the next ten years. Required by the Constitution, the Census determines each states share of seats in Congress and votes in the Electoral College. It provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, non-profit organizations and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, libraries, roads, and other resources based on census data.
Four in ten households in the United States still need to respond to the Census. On August 3, the Census Bureau shortened the deadline to respond by four weeks, from October 31 to September 30. This has left many Census workers scrambling to get a lot of work done in an even shorter amount of time. On top of that, because of COVID-19, perhaps this year more than any other, it is even more crucial to self-respond as soon as possible to prevent an enumerator from coming to your home. As of writing this article, Patagonia, Sonoita, and Elgin have a response rate of 44.4%. In 2010, the final self-response rate was 58%. We need to do better.
Each home should have received an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. Sometimes, in rural areas like ours, you might not have received a paper questionnaire or invitation, but the Census can still be completed even if you did not receive an invitation. It takes less than ten minutes to complete it online. It is private and secure; none of your data may be shared to outside parties. If you haven’t filled it out yet, please do it today!
To complete the Census online, go to my2020census.gov. To complete the Census by phone, call 1-844-330-2020.