BLYTHEWOOD – Doris Green, a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau in Atlanta, addressed Blythewood Town Council members at their March 25 meeting, outlining why citizens need to be encouraged to participate in this year’s census.
Green said that participating is critically important for several reasons. The results determine Blythewood’s share of the $675 billion of federal funds available to states and communities. The data from census results are used to ensure public services and funding for schools, hospitals and fire departments, and census results determine how many seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives.
She also said that registering for the 2020 census will be easy, since online and phone options are available for the first time, in addition to mailing options.
The U.S. Constitution requires the tallying of America’s population every 10 years. The census collects basic information about the people living in each household. When completing the census, everyone who is living in a household on April 1, 2020 should be counted.
Green added that census workers will never ask for social security numbers, bank or credit card account numbers, money, donations or anything on behalf of a political party. She emphasized that all responses and personal information related to census questions are securely protected by strict federal law and robust cyber security practices.
She said that over the next few months, the community will hear and see a lot of information about the upcoming census. April 1, 2020 is census day, and every person in every household should be included in order to have that most accurate count. Green said the census workers are in the process of building an accurate address list and automating field operations.
Green said there are many temporary employment opportunities within the census program, as well. For more information or to apply, visit www.2020census.gov/jobs or call 1-855-JOB-2020. Additional information about the 2020 census can be found online at census.gov.