WHAT IS THE CENSUS?
A constitutionally required ten-year count to produce statistics of all people living in the United States regardless of citizenship.
HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?
Starting March 12th you can complete the census in one of three ways:
Go to www.2020Census.gov
Call in to the Census Call Center using the phone number on your invitation postcard.
Mail-In Form
April 1 is Census Day, a key reference date for the 2020 Census. When completing the census, you will include everyone living in your home on this day. Starting in May, Census representatives visit homes of non-respondents; continuing until the census is complete.
Colorado will lose $2,300 a year for each person who doesn’t complete the census.
Why Participate in 2020?
1. It’s Important for:
Federal Funding for Community Services
($13+ billion a year!):
Schools, emergency services, roads/transportation, hospitals, health clinics, public works, Medicaid, child health insurance, subsidized food and more
A Voice in Government:
Number of U.S. House of Representatives
(Colorado could add a seat in Congress!)
Boundaries for voting areas
Important Decisions by Governments, Businesses and Nonprofits
How to spend money, where services are delivered, and economic development based on how the community is changing.
2. It’s Easy
10 Questions/10 minutes!
- Number of people living or staying in your home on April 1, 2020 (include renters, seasonal stays, multiple generations)*
- Name, sex, age, date of birth, race of each person in the home, their relationship to a central person in the home, a phone number, if you own or rent.
*Only ONE census per household. Counting people where they live and sleep most of the time.
3. It’s Safe – 100% Confidential
The law guarantees your personal information and answers cannot be used against you by any government agency and cannot be shared with ICE, FBI, CIA, welfare or the Department of Homeland Security.
4. It’s Not Personal
The census does not ask for social security numbers or other personal identifiers. It also does not ask if you are a citizen of the United States.
Important Dates
EARLY MARCH: Postcard sent to physical addresses with instructions for participation
MARCH 12: Census opens for responses! Online, phone, mail-in forms
APRIL 1: Census Day
APRIL-JUNE: Group quarters count (dorms, nursing homes, etc.)
MARCH 16 -April 27th: 4 reminder letters sent. Third mailing will include paper questionnaire.
MAY: Census representatives visit homes of non-respondents
DECEMBER: Data delivered to the President of the United States and Congress
