2020 Operational Adjustments
For the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau is allowing residents to answer the questionnaire online, but you can still respond by phone, mail or in person if preferred.The questionnaire lasts for about 10-15 minutes and has questions pertaining to sex, race, age and other factors.
According to the Census website the COVID-19 outbreak online responses have been extended till Aug. 14 and early nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) has been delayed until May 7 and will extend through Aug. 14.
NRFU is when census takers follow up with households that haven’t responded yet starting with households near colleges and universities.
WCU student currently set to work for the census as an enumerator, Ryan Gilling said, “Mostly they have been encouraging residents to respond via online or phone/mail, which is discouraging for us hired as enumerators but what can you do.”
Mandated by Article 1 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, there are various reasons why participating in the 2020 census is important, especially during this time of crisis.
According to the Census Bureau, by participating in the census, you help your community get its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs.
The Census can influence big changes like building new schools or hospitals in your community. It also impacts small but crucial changes like schools getting the correct amount of classrooms and teachers, and ensuring hospitals receive the correct amount of medical supplies and resources.
Additionally, Public Law 94-171 requires the U.S. Census Bureau to provide state legislatures with the small area census population tabulations necessary for legislative redistricting. Meaning this collection of data will influence voting districts for the next 10 years after 2020.
Currently hospitals are experiencing a severe lack of medical supplies, some say if our government had better prepared, we would not be facing this extreme of a crisis. According to the Washington Post, Trump denied/delayed the immediate threat of COVID-19 for 70 days.
“By the time Donald Trump proclaimed himself a wartime president — and the coronavirus the enemy — the United States was already on course to see more of its people die than in the wars of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq combined.”
Additionally the census helps influence congressional seats, according to the census site, “data collected by the census determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Click here to learn more about how participating in the 2020 census can better improve Jackson County.
