What is the Census, you aren’t sure right? The US census is a national survey conducted every 10 years by the US Census Bureau to count every living person in the United States. EVERY PERSON, people of all ages, races, ethnic groups including citizens and noncitizens, everyone in the United States.
Why do we do the Census? The Census is not just a head count, it determines how much money gets distributed to New Jersey to serve our people and it determines how many representatives New Jersey will get in the government, including congressional representation, votes in the electoral college and voting district boundaries.
When is the Census coming, how do I participate and what do they ask?
The Census is a questionnaire that you will be asked to complete online. You will receive a postcard in March with a unique link to complete the questionnaire. You should complete the questionnaire online by April 1. If you don’t complete the survey by April 1, the Census Bureau will begin to send you reminders and will begin to visit homes in person. The Census will continue to visit homes until the end of July. The complete count is that important. Census workers will be coming to homes and will wear a photo ID. You can call the regional census office to verify them at 1-800-991-2520.
The Census takes 10 minutes to complete. It asks you to provide basic information about you and everyone in your household. Even you baby or grandparent. Name, age, gender, race- of everyone in your household. Its important to fill out all info, so children and the elderly get counted so they can get the services they need. The questionnaire is in English and Spanish and has support in 12 languages. The information is confidential.
In the last census, there was an undercount in NJ, which resulted in a loss of congressional representation and a loss in funding to children under 5. We cant let this happen again, so its our responsibility to promote completion of the census in our community.
The Census has good paying jobs. Apply to be a census worker at https://2020census.gov/en/jobs/how-to-apply.html.
