2020 Census

In order to tackle some of the most complex civil rights crises facing us today, our nation first needs complete, accurate, and disaggregated data to give us a full understanding of who is impacted and how situations are evolving. Data are necessary, even though not sufficient, to advance equity and justice.

Nowhere is that endeavor more clear than with the national decennial census. The U.S. Constitution places the census at the core of our democratic system of government by calling for a count of the nation’s population every 10 years. The census and the related American Community Survey provide information that is the cornerstone of knowledge about the American people.

Census data shape the future of our community and define our voices in Congress. It determines how more than $1.5 trillion in federal government resources are distributed each year; where schools, roads, and hospitals are built; how many congressional seats are apportioned among the states; and allocates political representation in Congress, statehouses, and local legislative bodies. When communities are missed in the census, they are deprived of equitable political representation and access to critical resources.

Counting every person residing in the United States is a difficult endeavor, and despite the Census Bureau’s best efforts, some households are missed by the count, some are counted more than once, and still others respond with incorrect information. However, because the accuracy of the census directly affects our nation’s ability to ensure equal representation and equal access to important governmental resources for all people in America, ensuring a fair and accurate census must be regarded as one of the most significant civil rights issues facing the country today.

Citizenship Question Update: Supreme Court Blocks Addition of Untested Citizenship Question to 2020 Census!

We applaud today’s decision to block the untested citizenship question from the 2020 Census. The decision affirms that the Supreme Court saw through the Trump administration’s deceitful attempts to weaponize the census for partisan purposes and threaten the accuracy of the decennial count. These efforts were, as the Court said, ‘contrived.’ Now the Commerce Department must move forward to ensure a fair and accurate count and stop their efforts to add this unnecessary question.

LOOKING FOR RESOURCES?
Access our Digital Toolkit with key resources to respond to today’s ruling as you continue to inform and support your community.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Visit our Census Counts site to learn more ›

Our communities are relying on an accurate count. Taking the census is safe, required by law, and protects our power. It’s critical that we all participate in the 2020 Census. Fair political representation and access to resources for vital public services depend on it.

The Constitution requires a census every 10 years to count all residents in the United States, regardless of background. Not only is the census central to apportioning political power, but the data also influence the allocation of more than $800 billion every year for services like schools, fire departments, and hospitals. All of us — from community members to state and local leaders — have an enormous stake in ensuring the accuracy of the count.

The 2020 Census is among the most important civil rights issues today. Historically, the census has excluded certain communities at disproportionately high rates, including people of color, urban and rural low-income households, and young children. When communities are undercounted, they are deprived of equal political representation and access to resources. What does that mean for people’s everyday lives? To start, more time in traffic, not enough community health centers, and overcrowded classrooms.

The Leadership Conference coalition and Census Counts Campaign, a collaborative campaign led by The Leadership Conference Education Fund, are working in more than 30 states and partnering with national organizations and stakeholders invested in a fair and accurate 2020 Census. Together, we are driving change to ensure that democracy works — and works for everyone.

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Census Counts

Census Counts, a collaborative campaign led by The Leadership Conference Education Fund, mobilizes participation at the state and national levels to guarantee we count everyone in the 2020 Census, especially those communities that are hardest to count. 

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2020 Census Risk Factors

Citizenship Question

Adding an unnecessary and intrusive question about citizenship to the census form that goes to all households will discourage participation and threaten the accuracy of the count, especially in already hard-to-count communities. In January 2019, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to remove the citizenship question from the census. Now, Congress must act to block the question for good and lift any cloud of uncertainty if the issue remains tied up in the courts.

Privacy and Digital Security Concerns

2020 marks the first high-tech census. Modernizing the census is important, but technology also brings cybersecurity threats, real or perceived, and the challenge of the digital divide.

Climate of Fear

Political rhetoric and government activity by the current administration has created a climate of fear that could depress participation in many communities. Many people will be reluctant to provide personal information voluntarily to the government.

Contact Us

Interested in learning more about the 2020 Census or getting involved with our campaign to ensure a fair and accurate count? Contact Beth Lynk, Census Counts campaign director, and let us know your thoughts.

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