It’s time to take the 2020 Census! Taking the Census is safe, easy, and important. Census results determine how many seats each state gets in Congress and the makeup of state and local governments. The more accurately your community is counted, the more accurately your community will be represented. Your census answers also determine the amount of funding your community will get for public schools, health clinics, fire departments, and more.

By participating in the Census, you’re strengthening your community’s future.

Take a deeper dive into the 2020 Census and what’s at stake:

While increased access to vote-by-mail will be a key piece of the plan to ensure fair elections this November, safe polling places are also critical. Giving every voter access to a mail ballot option will not replace all polling place voting, and it should not come at the expense of access to polling places. The reality is that nationwide, mail-in voting is not realistic and some voters cannot or don’t want to vote by mail. Read more about why in-person voting is essential and how it can be done safely.

The worst impacts of the coronavirus are disproportionately felt by people in jails and prisons. Dramatically reducing the number of people held inside our prisons and jails isn’t just smart criminal justice policy, it’s necessary for public health. An increasing number of officials at all levels of the criminal justice system are taking active steps to ensure that fewer people spend time behind bars during the pandemic.

If you’d like to take a closer look into the coronavirus and the criminal justice system, the Brennan Center’s justice team has compiled recommendations and policy responses detailing how different levels of the criminal justice system are responding to this public health crisis.

The last time there was legislation like last week’s stimulus bill, super PACs didn’t exist. Today, the campaign finance system is in far worse shape, and wealthy donors can use their influence to try to obtain big payouts from the government. Meanwhile, the influence of unlimited big money has already been affecting the 2020 election, and the evidence is everywhere.

PODCAST: Check out two brand new episodes of Brennan Center Live! Listen to How the Tumultuous 70s Shaped Our Political Conflicts and The Great Migration’s Complicated Legacy.