Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

5-MINUTE EXPERT:

How (and why) to take part in the census

Census

Paul Sancya / AP

This Sunday, April 5, 2020, photo shows an envelope containing a 2020 Census letter mailed to a U.S. resident in Detroit.

While COVID-19 has significantly disrupted our daily lives, halting almost everything set to take place this spring, one thing still set to go on as planned is the 2020 Census. Officials say the census is more crucial than ever to ensure that the Silver State receives accurate federal representation and funding. By now, most households should have received invitations to participate. Unlike a concert or the NBA, the Census Bureau has a constitutional obligation to deliver the counts to the president of the United States on schedule, and must count everyone only once—and in the right place.

Nevada, which historically has been labeled a “hard to count” state due to its transient nature and diverse demographics, is slated to receive more than $6 billion annually to support vital programs in the state and county … assuming an accurate count.

How COVID-19 might affect an accurate count

Historically, the U.S. census has endured plenty of hardships, including wars, natural disasters and economic depressions. It has a constitutional obligation to go on as planned, even during a pandemic. Should public health and safety impact in-person follow-up efforts, census takers might have to rely on government administrative records to enumerate a larger share of the population. Through this method, census takers would count a household through these records and compare these records to the household’s census response. Although not ideal, there is precedent to support this method. In 2010, the match rate was around 90%.

“The federal funding Nevada gets based on a complete count affects all of us in our daily lives,” said Kerry Durmick, Nevada Census 2020 statewide coordinator. “Things like Medicaid, Medicare, nutrition and transportation services for seniors, the federal Pell Grant program, career and technical education grants and highway construction funds benefit all Nevadans.”

During this growing public health crisis, census officials say participating in the census is easier and safer than it has ever been, and for the first time, it’s providing three avenues for completion: by phone, by mail or online. In fact, the bureau predicts that fewer than 1% of households will be counted in person this year, and the bureau will only show up to households during follow-up efforts.

Social programs relying on an accurate count

• Medicaid

• Health care centers

• Nutrition programs for senior citizens

• School breakfast programs

• Head Start

• Pell Grants

• Career and technical education grants

• Highway planning and construction

• Water and waste disposal systems for rural communities

How to participate

• Online: This year, the Census Bureau is providing an avenue to complete its questionnaire online by visiting here. Simply click the “Start Questionnaire” button and enter the 12-digit census ID you should have received in the mail by now. If you can’t find your Census ID, just go to the website and find the “if you do not have a Census ID, click here” button on the login page. You’ll just need to answer a few additional questions about your address.

Census officials say the questionnaire takes just minutes to complete and is safe, secure and confidential. The site suggests using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari, and to enable cookies.

• Phone: To begin the survey over the phone, call 844-330-2020 or call the number associated with your preferred language (click here). This year, the census can be completed in 16 different languages, among them Spanish, Mandarin and Tagalog.

The bureau also offers guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, along with guides in Braille and large print. For more information, visit here.

• Mail: Households that do not complete the census online will receive an official Census Bureau questionnaire to complete and mail back at the following address: U.S. Census Bureau National Processing Center, 1201 E. 10th St., Jeffersonville, IN 47132. Forms must be completed in blue or black ink. Do not use a pencil.

What kind of questions will I be answering?

The questionnaire will mostly ask questions relating to how many people are living in a particular household, and questions regarding each individual’s race, gender, age and occupation. It will also ask whether the house is owned or rented, in order to compile data on homeownership rates. This serves as an indicator of the nation’s economy. There will be no citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

Who counts?

If you’re filling out the census form for your household, be sure to include everyone living there on April 1, 2020. This includes anyone—even if they’re not related to you. Roommates, young children and newborns should be counted, too.

“Children under 5 are the most undercounted demographic, both nationwide and in Nevada, especially in the Latino community,” said Emily Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices.

Individuals who don’t need to be counted include those living in a nursing home, jail or prison. Those institutions participate in a separate count.

Important dates and adjusted timetables

• April 1: This was a key reference day for the 2020 Census to determine who has self-responded and where they live. People can still respond after this date.

• April 16-June 19: Census takers will begin counting those residing in group housing facilities such as senior centers and prisons.

• April 29-May 1: The Census Bureau will begin counting people without permanent housing, such as those in shelters, soup kitchens and on the streets.

• May 27-August 14: Census takers begin to follow up at homes that haven’t responded yet to the 2020 Census.

• August 14: The adjusted end date for the self-response phase.

• December: The Census Bureau will report its findings to the president and Congress.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.