Census 2020 Frequently Asked Questions

CENSUS 2020

FREQUENTLY

ASKED

QUESTIONS

NC Complete Count Commission

WHAT IS THE DECENNIAL CENSUS? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ME? Responding to the Census, like jury The U.S. Constitution requires a duty, is mandatory and a civic duty. Census every 10 years to determine the Being counted in the Census affects number of Congressional seats each the amount of funding your state has in the U.S. House of community receives, how your Representatives. As the most reliable community plans for the future, and picture of the population, Census data your representation in government. provides the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to communities across WHY DO WE NEED AN ACCURATE the country to support vital CENSUS COUNT? WHAT programs—impacting housing, PROGRAMS ARE AFFECTED BY THE education, transportation, employment, health care, and public CENSUS COUNT IN NORTH policy. Data are also used to redraw CAROLINA? the boundaries of congressional and Census data is used to bring over $675 state legislative districts, as well as billion of your tax dollars back to your other local and state political community. Funding for health care boundaries. programs (Medicaid and Medicare), infrastructure programs (Highway WHY DO WE HAVE A CENSUS? Planning and Construction Grants and The Census is mandated by Article I, Community Development Block Section 2 of the Constitution. The Grants), child services (Foster Care, primary purpose of the Census, as Title I Education Grants, National mandated in the Constitution, is to School Lunch Program), and more rely determine how seats in the U.S. House on Census data. Census data is also of Representatives are apportioned used to support preparation for local among the states. planning for schools, roads, water/sewer, and electric needs. HOW MANY SEATS DOES NORTH Businesses use Census data to CAROLINA CURRENTLY HOLD IN determine where to place stores, assess potential workforce, and THE HOUSE OF evaluate markets. Future funding and REPRESENTATIVES? planning in your community depend 13, but North Carolina is projected to on accurate Census data. gain an additional seat if it has a complete and accurate 2020 Census. WHEN IS CENSUS DAY 2020? Wednesday, April 1, 2020

WHO IS COUNTED IN THE WHAT INFORMATION WILL NOT CENSUS? BE REQUESTED? Everyone. The Census counts everyone The Census Bureau will never ask for: living in the United States, regardless • Social Security numbers of citizenship status or age. • Bank or credit card account numbers WHEN WILL I COMPLETE THE • Money or donations • Anything on behalf of a political CENSUS? party Census notices will be mailed in If you are visited by someone from the mid-March 2020, and you can respond United States Census Bureau, here are online as soon as you get your Census some recognition tips to assure the notice. Census Bureau enumerators validity of the field representative; will begin visiting households that Census Bureau enumerators must have not responded yet in mid-April present an ID Badge that includes their 2020. photograph, the Department of Commerce watermark, and an HOW CAN I RESPOND? expiration date. In addition to carrying The 2020 Census is the first U.S. a laptop and/ or bag with a Census Census to allow response by Bureau logo, the field representative smartphone or online. You can choose will provide the following: to respond by phone or by traditional • Supervisor’s contact information paper questionnaire. Census forms will and/or the regional office phone be available in 12 languages, and number for verification, if asked. Census support and assistance will be • A letter from the Director of the available in 59 languages, American Census Bureau on U.S. Census Sign Language, braille, and large print. Bureau letterhead. If in doubt, call the U.S. Census Bureau WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE Atlanta Regional Office at 1-800-424-6974. REQUESTED? The Census asks for your name, age, WHAT IF I ALREADY FILLED OUT A race, sex, Hispanic Origin, household relationship, as well as housing CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE THIS questions. The 2020 questionnaire will YEAR? essentially be the same as the 2010 You probably received the American form. When completing the Census, Community Survey (ACS) or the you should count everyone who is American Housing Survey (AHS) from living in your household on April 1, the U.S. Census that is sent out each 2020 – including infants. 3

year to approximately 25% of the are examples of groups who are at risk population. Those surveys are more of being missed in the Census as well comprehensive than the Census as preschool-aged children. Everyone questionnaire. The actual 2020 Census counts, and there is assistance to help questionnaire does not arrive until everyone be counted! around March 2020. WHAT’S AN EXAMPLE OF A IF I FILLED OUT THE AMERICAN GROUP OF PEOPLE LIKELY TO BE COMMUNITY SURVEY OR THE MISSED BY THE CENSUS AND AMERICAN HOUSING SURVEY, DO WHY? I STILL HAVE TO FILL OUT THE Young children ages 0-4 are one of the 2020 CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE? most likely groups to be undercounted. NC Child estimates that there are Yes. You are required to complete any 73,000 children at risk of not being questionnaire received from the U.S. counted here in North Carolina in the Census Bureau. 2020 Census. This is likely a

combination of factors that make WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO children’s families hard to count as ACHIEVING A COMPLETE AND well as the fact that the family or ACCURATE 2020 CENSUS COUNT caretakers of young children often fill out the Census but do not include FOR NORTH CAROLINA? children under 5 in their household Many people fear sharing information count. with a government agency, but Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects all individual WHERE ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS, responses and information. Your responses cannot be shared with law PRISONERS, MILITARY enforcement, IRS, courts, or ANYONE PERSONNEL, AND OTHER PEOPLE for 72 years. Anyone breaking this law LIVING IN GROUND QUARTERS can be punished with up to 5 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine. SUPPOSED TO BE COUNTED? People may also not realize how The Census counts everyone, once, important the Census is to their only once, and in the right place. neighborhood, city, county, and state. College dorms, prisons, military We can all do our part to help the barracks, and long-term nursing homes future funding and planning of our are examples of Census group communities. quarters. The Census will work with Language, poverty, internet access, administrative staff at these places to literacy, disability, and recent movers count everyone. Students or military 4

personnel living in apartments will were not counted, and slaves were receive their own Census mailings. counted as 3/5 of person. The Census Everyone should answer their Census has changed to count everyone equally form based on where they usually but also to expand race identification, reside as of April 1, 2020. including multiple race options to reflect the changing face of America. WILL MY INFORMATION BE KEPT Census confidentiality has also CONFIDENTIAL? changed. Private Census data was Title13 of the U.S. Code protects your shared leading to the internment of Census responses. It is against the law Japanese Americans during World War for any Census Bureau employee to II, but since then laws have been disclose or publish any Census created to secure the confidentiality of information that identifies an responses to the Census. Census individual. Census Bureau employees workers take a lifetime oath to protect take a lifelong pledge of confidentiality the privacy of Census data, and Title to handle data responsibly and keep 13 of the U.S. Code sets penalties for respondents’ information private. The disclosure as a fine of up to $250,000 penalty for wrongful disclosure is a or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or fine of up to $250,000 or both. No law enforcement agency (not imprisonment for up to 5 years, or the DHS, ICE, FBI, or CIA) can access or both. No law enforcement agency (not use your personal information at any the DHS, ICE, FBI, or CIA) can access or time. use your personal information at any time. Data collected can only be used IF IT’S FOR POLITICAL for statistical purposes that help inform important decisions, including REPRESENTATION, WHY DO WE how much federal funding your HAVE TO COUNT NON-CITIZENS IN community receives. The Census Bureau has a robust cybersecurity THE CENSUS? program that incorporates industry The Decennial Census was established best practices and federal security in Article I, Section 2 of the standards for encrypting data. Constitution to enumerate U.S. residents, not citizens, and it HAS CENSUS DATA BEEN ABUSED determines more than political representation. Census data informs IN THE PAST? congressional apportionment, but it The U.S. Census, confidentiality laws also guides billions in federal funding and protections have evolved with the to communities as well as emergency nation. The original Census counted preparedness, school construction, only free persons, Native Americans housing development, and job 5

markets. Non-citizens may become citizens but need within communities WHY IS COMMUNITY exists regardless of citizenship status. The American Community Survey INVOLVEMENT IMPORTANT IN administered by the U.S. Census THE CENSUS? Bureau does ask about citizenship, but Census data is important to the it’s different than the decennial Census planning and funding future of all our that aims to count everyone. There has cities, towns, and neighborhoods. not been a citizenship question on the While the U.S. Census Bureau will “short” Census form since the 1950s. promote the 2020 Census, no one knows our community better than us. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE Local Census advocates can help make CITIZENSHIP QUESTION ON THE sure that everyone is counted and that our tax dollars return to serve our CENSUS FORM? residents. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, and there will be no citizenship question WHAT ROLE DOES THE STATE on the 2020 Census. A citizenship question has always been part of the PLAY IN THE CENSUS? American Community Survey North Carolina has a conducted by the Census Bureau. Governor-appointed state Complete Count Commission that consists of 32 IF I DISAGREE WITH SOME ASPECT members representing a wide range of constituencies. The Commission is OF THIS YEAR’S CENSUS, IS chaired by NC Department of BOYCOTTING THE FORM THE BEST Administration Secretary Machelle Sanders. The Commission provides WAY TO SHOW THAT? strategic direction to local Complete No. Refusing to fill out the entire form Count Committees on messaging, will cause an enumerator to be sent to outreach, and coordination as Census your home for follow-up. While Day 2020 approaches. refusing to answer only one question on the Census may not trigger this WHAT CAN I DO? response, under Title 13 of the U.S. Participate in the US Census, share Code, you can be fined up to $100 for Census information with other leaders refusing to fill out a Census form and in your community. $500 for knowingly answering In the past, legislation has been questions falsely. Further, incomplete introduced that would limit the Census forms will cause your community to questionnaire to requesting only have less accurate data and potentially information required by the fewer resources long-term. 6

Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) encourages the general public to contact their government representatives to express their opinions about this issue.

ADDITIONAL CENSUS RESOURCES: • Make NC Count website: https://census.nc.gov/ • U.S. Census Bureau website: https://www.census.gov/ • NC Counts Coalition website: https://www.nccensus.org/ • Follow @nccensus on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates!