The US Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, mandates that every ten years, the country must conduct a count of its population. Today, that count is done by the non-partisan, US Census Bureau for every state and our five US Territories.
Besides knowing how many people live in the United States and our territories, the census informs elected officials, health authorities, school boards, and civic leaders about the communities they serve and the needs of its residents. The 2020 Census will determine how over $800 billion in federal tax dollars gets allocated and apportions how many elected representatives we have in Congress and creates new districts for future office holders. The Census helps state and local leaders decide where schools and health clinics are built, what infrastructure and transportation projects should be prioritized, and informs us of the composition of US households across our great country. For these reasons and others, it is critically important that we all respond to this year’s census.
The average census response rate for the US is 88 percent, but as of early September 2020, Texas is behind this average at 85 percent. This lower response rate means Texas could forgo crucial funding and resources which could then be redirected to other states with a higher response rate.
Every member of our One Amazing Team should perform this civic duty and respond to the 2020 Census questionnaire before the September 30 deadline. We urge you to encourage your family and friends to do the same.
There are four easy ways to respond to the Census and it only takes two minutes to complete!
Secure Internet: For the first time this year, the Census will be available online.
https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-online.html
Respond by phone: The census phone lines are available at 1-800-923-8282.
https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html
A significant undercount would dramatically deprive our region of vital public and private resources for the next ten years! Go to https://www.2020census.gov now and get counted!