You Count, Be Counted in the 2020 Census

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Trying to count each and every American may seem like a daunting task, but every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau does just that. The Census is officially mandated by the Constitution and serves to allocate services and resources nationwide. The 2020 Census has rolled into Thurston County and participating is as easy as point and click.

Filling out the 2020 Census is as easy as point and click while we Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Photo courtesy: Thurston County

You’ve probably already received your Census letter in the mail. It includes a unique code to enter at www.2020Census.gov where it asks simple questions about all household residents, but the code isn’t required for counting. Make sure you include everyone, including infants, children, and resident grandparents or relatives. USAFacts explains that “Everyone who has established a residence in the US is counted, including individuals with work visas, international students, and unauthorized immigrants, but excluding temporary visitors such as tourists.”

If you have misplaced your Census letter or never received one, you can simply go to www.2020census.gov, where you will be asked a few questions that establish your identity, then you proceed directly to the questionnaire.

Coordinating the Thurston County census outreach is the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). Coordinator Amy Hatch-Winecka explains that they’re actively planning outreach with the help of a Complete Count Committee made up of numerous community partners. They’ve been brainstorming outreach to groups who are typically low responders like college students, homeless residents and making sure even babies are counted. “Every response equals approximately $2,300 for Washington State,” she explains. “It takes 10 minutes to complete but the ramifications can take 10 years to play out.”

Amy Hatch-Winecka, of the Thurston Regional Planning Council, explains that every response equals $2,300 for Washington State services and support. Photo courtesy: Thurston County

Filling out your information online is quick and easy and costs less overall. You can also call to take the census at 1-844-330-2020 if you’d like to talk with a person or if you don’t have internet access. If you don’t self-respond to the initial requests mailed by the US Census Bureau, in-person workers will visit to ask survey questions in person. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Census Bureau won’t be sending Census Takers out until after May 28.  Don’t worry, Census takers will always wear an ID badge with their name, photograph, a Department of Commerce watermark and clearly posted expiration date. You can verify documentation, workers and more via the Census Bureau’s verification portal.  If you would rather not have visitors, respond either online or with a phone call.

TRPC and other trusted partners will piggyback on upcoming local events, festivals and fairs by providing on-site Chromebooks and wi-fi portals to take the Census at places like the Olympia Farmers Market once public gatherings are allowed again. Until then, they’re providing information to community groups and organizations who can act as the conduit to their constituents thanks to a grant from the state’s Office of Financial Management.

With this spring’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order from the governor, Hatch-Winecka admits there will be some changes to the Census process. “The U.S. Census Bureau says reduced staffing at Census Call Centers has led to significant delays in some instances, particularly in languages other than English and Spanish,” she explains. “We apologize for the inconvenience and The U.S. Census Bureau is actively working to address the delays.”

If you don’t have access to the internet, you can call the Census Bureau directly at 1-844-330-2020 to speak to a real person and answer the questions that way. Or, via the same phone number, you can request a paper copy be mailed to you. Because of quarantines nationwide, Census data deadlines have been delayed. But don’t wait, do it now while you’re staying home, safe and healthy.

According to numbers compiled by the George Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy, in 2016 alone Washington State received $16,676,186,274 due to data collected in the 2010 Census. Monies benefitted residents through school lunches and supplemental nutrition, head start programs, crime victim assistance, public housing, adoption assistance, transit, capital investment, and business loans.

Bryan Dominique, Public Information Officer for Thurston County, shows just how easy it is to be counted. Photo courtesy: Thurston County

But the Census isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s also how our country reapportions members to the House of Representatives, maintains or redraws congressional and state legislative districts, and how businesses track population growth so they know where to build. Find fascinating data from the country as a whole or just Washington-specific information through the Census Bureau.

For example, the median age in Washington is 37.7 years old, below the national average of 38.2. Our state has a higher than average number of military veterans and foreign-born residents. We can boast 91.6% high school graduates—over the national average of 88.3%—and strong housing and employment numbers. But without the Census to tally such statistics, it’s hard to plan for the future or learn from the past.

The first official U.S. Census was held in 1790, according to USAFacts, “Shortly after George Washington became President [and] it took 18 months to complete the Census.” Thanks to partnerships between federal, state, and local governments as well as regional facilitators like the Thurston Regional Planning Council, your voice can be heard in a matter of minutes from your phone, tablet, laptop, or home computer.

Do your part to strengthen our city, county, state, and nation. Whether you reply online or by mailing in the forms, completing the 2020 Census positively benefits generations to come. Contact the TRPC at www.trpc.org/946/Census with questions or www.2020census.gov to input your details.

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