2020 Census ‘complete count’ effort faces challenges
By Eric Valentine
Answer these questions. What could go wrong?
- How are you related to “Person 1”?
- Is this person of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?
- What is this person’s race?
Probably nothing, but factor in cyber-insecurity, immigration tension, and an inherent American distrust of government, getting the answers to those and other questions on the 2020 U.S. Census figures to be a challenging exercise that will have to combine a professional and volunteer effort by all levels of government and all types of the regular folks they are trying to count.
“Success of the census depends on community involvement at every level. The U.S. Census Bureau cannot conduct the 2020 Census alone,” says the official government statement of the United States Census Bureau—the arm of the government created by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It mandates a headcount every 10 years of everyone residing in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas of the United States. The population totals determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives and can be used to redraw legislative and school districts, too.
And then there’s funding. Approximately $675 billion in federal funding is at stake for city and county jurisdictions.
“Transportation grants, for example, are divided into rural, small urban and large urban categories. And certain federal mandates, such as stormwater system requirements, are affected by population,” explained Heather Dawson, Hailey’s city administrator. “Hailey will be participating in the CCC (Complete Count Committees) as local efforts ramp up.”
CCCs are volunteer committees established by community leaders or organizations to increase awareness and motivate residents to respond to the 2020 Census. They are the state and local “census ambassadors” and play an integral part in ensuring a complete and accurate count of the community in the 2020 Census.
For a city like Hailey, which is the most populous jurisdiction in the Valley and which sits between rural and resort communities, a complete count is vital and more challenging. According to the state, the 2010 Census had only a 76 percent response rate by Idahoans.
Dawson said this will be addressed when the new mayor and city council take office, but because there was no census during the current mayor’s term, there is no current policy for promoting awareness of the census or processing the census data once it comes back. The U.S. Census Bureau is by law required to turn in its findings to the President by Dec. 31, 2020.
What follows are some important things to know about the census and how you can take an active part in a complete count:
- Census forms are anonymous—sorry, deep-state conspiracy theorists. Sizeable fines are in place should data be used illegally.
- There is no “citizenship” question on the form. But it will ask if you are in a same-sex marriage.
- You will be able to respond online, by phone, or by mail.
- You can get hired to be a census taker. Visit 2020census.gov/en/jobs online to learn more.