Why it Matters and What You Can Do to Help
The Census is a once-a-decade enumeration of the population of the United States that is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. The main purpose is to determine how many seats each state will receive in the House of Representatives and in the Electoral College. The census data is also used to identify the needs of places and people, to allocate resources and funding, and to assist in policy making decisions.
Without a full and accurate Census, policy makers do not have the information they need to make good policy decisions. If New York is under-counted we will lose not just 1 but possibly 2 seats in Congress, along with the corresponding votes in the Electoral College.
It also means that New York would lose out on federal funding. New York’s residents and businesses send more total revenue to the Federal government than any other state and contribute more in taxes than the state receives back in Federal spending. If we are under-counted by the Census that deficit will be even worse.
As of this moment, New York is falling behind in the count (just over 52% of residents have returned their census forms). The disruption of the pandemic, political misinformation, and a hard-to-count populations have been obstacles. Now, the federal government has announced that it will be cutting back the time for a complete count by almost a full month (efforts will wrap up on September 30).
You (Daemen College Students) Can Help!
1) Know what the Census is and Why it Matters
2) Educate Others
A lot of people do not understand the importance of filling out the Census. It's not just a legal requirement, it is a way to help your community.
The Census helps to determine the distribution of
POLITICAL POWER: It directly affects the number of seats New York will receive in Congress, the number of Electors (Votes) New York has in the Electoral College (which elects the president), and the drawing of legislative districts for the next decade.
MONEY: Over 300 federal programs use census data to allocate federal dollars to state and local governments. In 2016, just 55 of those programs accounted for $73 Billion in federal funding being allocated to New York State.
If you can encourage or assist even 1 person to fill out their census form you will have helped secure at least $20,000 in federal program funding over the next decade. That's money for programs upon which all New Yorkers' rely, and money that would otherwise come from state and local taxes. Receiving federal funding is a way New Yorkers get back their federal tax dollars.
If our communities are under-counted we lose both power and money. This is why it is so important to fill out the Census.
3) Do a Census Check-In with Friends and Family (Especially those who are in Hard to Count Groups)
The key is to understand that the government wants to know who was living at a residence on APRIL 1, 2020 (that's the snapshot date).
Make Sure You Were Counted / Returned Your Form
If you were living on Daemen Campus on April 1 you would have been counted by the College (congregant facilities like colleges/dorms, prisons, and nursing homes are responsible for responding).
If you were living at home, your parents or head of household should have received the form. You should be included on their form.
If you were living on your own (an apartment or residence off-campus) you should have received your own form.
Double check that you or your household of residence returned a form accounting for all persons living at that address as of April 1, 2020.
Do a Census Check-In with Friends/Family
Ask those in your circle if they filled out the form. Offer to help if they need it. Make it cool to be counted.
It may help to know who is most likely to be under-counted: those who are hard to locate, hard to interview (communication barriers), hard to contact, or hard to persuade. If you know someone in these groups, you can do a Census check-in and offer to help walk them through the process.
This might include:
Grandparents (who may be suspicious or wary of technology)
Non-citizens (who may be fearful about the purpose and intent)
Rural Residents (who lack access to internet or are hard to reach)
Non-English speakers (who may need some extra assistance)
This is the First Time Census is Digital
•Responses can be made
•By mail
•By Phone
•Online
If you have someone in your life who doesn’t have access to internet or knowledge of how to respond digitally, offer to help them. It only takes about 10 minutes. You can do it right from a smart phone or tablet. Their census form (received in the mail) will have directions and a code that is unique to their household. What is easy for you might be a barrier to them. Offer to help.
4) Help Correct Misinformation
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about the Census. The 3 biggest areas of concern are likely to be, the citizenship question, privacy, and confusion over political flyers. Here are these common misconceptions and the answers you can provide in responding to these concerns.
Misconception #1: The 2020 Census asks about Citizenship and is a way for the federal government to identify and prosecute undocumented immigrants.
There was a proposal from the Trump Administration to put a citizenship question on the Census, but that was blocked by the United States Supreme Court. The Census does not ask citizenship status. Moreover, Title 13 of the U.S. Federal Code guarantees that Census data will not be used for these purposes.
Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.
Misconception #2: The Census is Not Private
Census data is private and confidential under federal law (Title 13 of the U.S. Federal Code)
The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. You are kept anonymous: The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anyone else in your home.
It is also important to know that the Census Bureau will not send unsolicited emails to request your participation in the 2020 Census. Further, during the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask for:
•Your Social Security number.•Your bank account or credit card numbers.•Money or donations.•In addition, the Census Bureau will not contact you on behalf of a political party.
If you don't fill out your form, however, a census taker may visit your household. This is because a full and accurate count is really important. The constitutional mandate requires that every effort be made to secure an accurate enumeration. So the Census bureau sends out census takers to assist non-responding households to complete their forms.
Misconception #3 I received a "census-like" flyer or warnings about filling out the form. I can't trust anything related to the Census.
Unfortunately, there were a number of misleading political flyers sent out in the weeks before the census that were designed to confuse and to give misinformation about the actual Census for political purposes. Many of these mimicked census-like format and language, were a disguised political appeal to spread disinformation about census and immigration, and/or were designed to create confusion for the actual census.
The Census is not (and should not be) political. It is a constitutionally required enumeration of all persons residing in the United States. By trying to "trick" you into not filling out the form, these efforts actually hurt you and your fellow residents. It is another way to try to deprive individuals and whole communities of their political power and voting rights.
The only way to ensure that New York receives its fair share of political power and federal dollars is to have a full and accurate count of all persons residing in the state. An under-count hurts everyone regardless of political affiliation or beliefs.
We need to know how many people are actually living in our communities, so that elected officials and policy makers can make good decisions and to ensure that New York gets its fair share of federal dollars. The Census affects everything; infrastructure needs (roads, water, bridges, sanitation, internet), community and health care needs, education needs (schools and childcare), social welfare needs (poverty assistance, vulnerable communities), housing, cultural support, public safety (police, fire, emergency assistance), environmental and natural disaster funding.
Responding to the Census is the law, and it is good for your community.
5) Register to Vote and Vote!
The Census Count Affects Political Redistricting for 2021-2030.
Census data is also used for redistricting federal congressional, and state and local voting districts. Another reason that we need an accurate count is to make sure that the political boundaries which will be used for the next 10 years accurately reflects the distribution of the State's population.
Voting sometimes seems like a less "sexy" way to be politically active than politically protesting. Many people think their 1 vote does not really count. Here's one fact to consider: "By 2019, Millennials are projected to number 73 million, overtaking Baby Boomers as the largest living adult generation." Voters in this generation have the power to remake the political landscape just turning out to vote.
Use your power. Be counted. Vote.
Here are a Couple of Additional Resources for you:
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