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AFGE’s Women’s and Fair Practices Departments (WFP) and National YOUNG
Committee are working together to mobilize AFGE members around the 2020
Census. We want to ensure that AFGE members and their families are counted
during this year’s census.
A complete and accurate count in the 2020 census is vital to working
families in every corner of our country. This information, required every
10 years by the Constitution, is used for important decision-making that
affects working people—not only at the federal level, but also at the state
and local levels of government. It is the basis for decisions on
reapportionment of seats in the U.S. Congress, and in state and local
legislative districts.
Click here to pledge your commitment to complete the 2020 Census.
Census data also is used to determine the allocation of billions of dollars
in funds for federal, state and local programs, and such services as school
construction, housing and community development, and road and
transportation planning. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve, state
and local governments need a fair and accurate distribution of these funds.
What is the Census, and Why is it Important?
The census is the cornerstone of our democracy. Census data is used to
determine funding for key federal programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Section
8 housing, school lunch programs, Title 1 school funding and other critical
programs that directly impact our communities.
Census data also helps determine political power and representation in
Congress, as well as the implementation of crucial civil rights policies.
How To Respond
The 2020 Census will ask a few simple questions about you and everyone who has been living with you since April 1, 2020.
For the first time, you can choose to complete the census online, by phone,
or by mail. Find out more about each of these methods below:
Please note that if you are responding online, you must complete the census
in one sitting, as you don't have the ability to save your progress. See
the questions the census asks here.
If you do not receive an invitation to respond from the Census Bureau, you
may respond online or visit the Contact Us page to
call and complete the census by phone.
Who Should Respond
The 2020 Census counts everyone living in the United States and its five
territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
One person should respond for each home. That person must be at least 15
years old. They should live in the home or place of residence themselves
and know general information about each person living there. For more
information, visit
Questions Asked.
Please note: If you live in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, the process for
completing the census will be 100% paper-based and led by Census takers.
Visit
Counting the Island Areas
for more information.
Language Support
You can complete the census online or by phone in 13 different languages:
English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Japanese.
In addition, bilingual invitations and paper questionnaires in English and
Spanish will be sent to select areas of the country.
To help you respond, the Census Bureau also offers web pages and guides in
59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as
guides in Braille and large print. Visit Language Support to
learn more.
Thank you for taking action to make sure everyone is counted!
In Solidarity,
AFGE National YOUNG Committee
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