The Constitution of the United States mandates that every ten years a census or count of the population of the country takes place. The nonpartisan U.S. Census Bureau conducts the census. The 2020 census will be the 24th time that the United States has counted its population since 1790.
For many government entities, the data collected during the census becomes vital to their operations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s website, “The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community.” Billions of Federal government dollars get distributed to hospitals, fire departments, roads, schools, and other resources based on the data from the census. The census results also determine the number of seats each state will receive in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire by phone, by mail, or online. It is required by law that people participate in the census by answering the survey. The surveys will be mailed out and arriving at homes between March 12-20. By April 1, Census Day, every household in the country should have received their census survey. Responses should be sent in before May 1. Starting on May 1, census workers will begin visiting homes that did not respond to the mailed survey to record the number of residents at that home.
The State of Georgia, Gwinnett County, City of Buford, and other local municipalities lost out on millions of dollars in federal funding over the last ten years because of inaccurate population data because residents failed to complete the census in 2010. Loosing out on federal money impacts everyone including those who failed to complete the census. It is imperative that every household accurately completes its survey.
Additional articles will be coming soon in which The Voice goes more in-depth into the 2020 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census website can be accessed at https://2020census.gov/.
