Why You Should Care About the 2020 Census

The Census is a count of every person residing in our country that happens every ten years and is mandated by our Constitution.

Census day is coming up on April 1^st! We want YOU to be counted, along with everyone else in our Country. You can fill out the Census here.

Why is it important though? It may seem trivial, but the Census will determine the future of our Country, State, and County for many years to come. Put simply, two of the biggest reasons to fill out the census are for representation and money from federal funds.

Representation: Your state legislative districts and the number of congressional representatives your state has is determined by data collected through the Census.

What does that mean?

It means that if the population of Maryland increased, we could gain a member of the House of Representatives. Our state legislative districts may be redrawn according to population shifts.

Representation can also relate to if the government knows to provide services for you. The Census asks about your race, age, and even relationship status so that local governments can determine what sort of services and resources they need to provide to their residents. For example, if there is a large population of single parents in a community, those individuals could potentially benefit from a program for daycare services or increased spending for after-school activities. Governments across the country utilize Census data to better serve their people, and we are HERE for that!

Have we convinced you yet? Fill out the Census here.

Money: Data collected from the Census helps determine the allocation of federal funds to your community.

You are losing your community money when you don’t fill out the Census!

This count determines how much money your local government will receive from the federal government to pay for all the stuff you need and want. For every person that goes uncounted, the local government loses more than $18,000 over the course of ten years. This money could go towards filling potholes, replacing sidewalks, supporting our schools, paying for that local park you really love, and way way more.

You’re probably aware of the controversy over the Census in the past year.

Trump and his administration tried to add a citizenship question to the Census, a dirty political tactic to discourage immigrants and the general population who is distrusting of the government from participating. The Supreme Court struck down the proposal and the question was never added.

The damage was done. Many people still think that by filling out the Census, they would be putting their privacy and security at risk. That’s what the GOP wants you to think.

In reality, your personal information is kept private and safe. “The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. The law ensures that your private information is never published and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.”

That’s not the end of it though.

As the Census is being mailed to your doorstep, so are copies of the “2020 Congressional District Census,” mailers bankrolled by the Republican Party. How is the average citizen to know which Census is the correct form?

There’s clearly a reason why the Republicans don’t want EVERY person counted in the Census, because, as we just explained, the Census is freaking important!!!

So, PLEASE. Do us all a favor and fill out the Census.

Count EVERYONE in your household as of April 1, 2020. Share a photo with us after you’ve done it! We want to share your triumphs through this time of crisis and show that we all still have the power to make a difference together.

We wish you all safety and health throughout this time, and please make this and every moment COUNT 😊 (Fill out the Census)