#AdamsCountyCounts

April 1 is the official start of the decennial census, but March 12 is the first day that the Census information lines and web sites go live so that people can ask questions or fill out their census form.

The Constitution requires an enumeration of every person once every decade. This information is used for a lot of things. First, the results of the census count determine representation in the House of Representatives and Harrisburg as well as the number of electoral votes. Second, $675 billion of federal aid and a great deal of state aid is apportioned, at least in part, on the basis of the census count. Finally, almost any economic research, whether done by an academic or a county government planning future school construction needs, or a developer planning where to build new housing, rests on a foundation of Census information.

It only takes a few minutes. You can go to www.my2020census.gov or do it by phone. You will also be able to go to any public library for information or for access to a computer to submit the information. There will be follow-ups and, finally, an in person contact later this summer.

One thing the information is not used for is to track information about individuals. Strong legal requirements prevent sharing individual information anywhere outside the Census Bureau and employees who violate this requirement face potential jail time and up to a $250,000 fine. Whether it’s ATF or ICE or the IRS, there’s no risk your individual information will be shared.

The Census Bureau works hard to get the count right. They work hard to make sure that it’s easy and safe, and it’s certainly very important. When you get your package, take a few minutes and make sure #AdamsCountyCounts.

Leon Reed and Lili Peña, Adams County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.