The Census is mandated every 10 years by the Constitution. It is intended to count every person residing in the United States, regardless of age, status or citizenship.
The federal government will allocate $675 billion dollars each year over the next 10 years. The Census affects how those funds get distributed among states to fund education, healthcare, food and nutrition, transportation, affordable housing, and other services. Census data is also used to redraw legislative districts and determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. On a local level, Census data is used to make decisions about projects and plan for the future.
New Jersey will lose $15,000 per person each year for the next 10 years for any person left out of this year’s census count. After the 2010 census, New Jersey lost 2 congressional districts due to undercounting. It is estimated that in the last census, 3 Essex County towns – Newark, East Orange, and Bloomfield – may have been undercounted by as much as 50%.
The Census can be completed online, by phone, or by mail. You will be asked questions about age, gender, and the number of children living in your home. This includes children! (Children under 5 are an undercounted group). You will not be asked for Social Security numbers, bank or credit card numbers, about money or donations, or about political affiliations.
Your responses are safe, secure and protected by federal law. Title 13 of the U.S. Code guarantees that your responses cannot be used against you by any government agency or court in any way. Title 14 of the U.S. code guarantees that personal data cannot be disclosed for 72 years.
You should receive a notice to complete the census within the next week. The stakes are high! Fulfill your civic duty and be counted.
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