Census

Today, Common Cause called on Congress to provide funding to safeguard key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental funding bill. The letter urges every Member of Congress to provide significant funding in the stimulus package to backstop vital elements of our democracy and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. In the face of the pandemic, Common Cause calls for funding to safeguard our elections, the Census, the U.S. Postal Service, access to broadband internet service, as well as local journalism and to fully staff and prioritize the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission.

The House Democrats’ Coronavirus emergency response bill introduced today takes vital steps to address the public health and economic emergencies and importantly takes steps to safeguard our democracy from this pandemic as well. Our elections are the lifeblood of our democracy, and every American expects and deserves to have their vote counted. Millions of American citizens are in danger of being disenfranchised by the Coronavirus pandemic if drastic steps are not taken. The Senate bill pushed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is woefully underfunded and amounts to only token gestures toward safeguarding every citizen’s right to vote. While it is only a small percentage of the overall relief package, the House bill invests $4 billion in our state and local elections to expand no-excuse absentee and early voting as well as providing vote-by-mail options during an emergency.

It is time for every resident of the United States to make their voice heard in the 2020 Census. It is time to stand up and be counted, for your own benefit and for the benefit of your community. Today, every person residing in the United States is encouraged to take 10 minutes to fill out their census form and shape the future of communities for the next 10 years.  

“I absolutely think that these ads are deceptive,” said Keshia Morris Desir, the census project manager for government watchdog organization Common Cause. Morris Desir acknowledged that the ads also clearly affiliate themselves with Trump’s campaign, but said they were still misleading. “Although they also say things like ‘Help Trump Win’ — I definitely think that the fact that you name this as a census at the same time that the 2020 census bureau will be sending similar communications for folks to fill out their census form is unfortunate.”

Just weeks ahead of 2020 Census invitations hitting mailboxes across the country, U.S. Census Bureau director Dr. John Dillingham sat before the House Oversight and Reform committee on Wednesday, February 12th to answer questions on the government's largest peacetime undertaking. However, what happens after peak census operations was minimally addressed by Congress. Including processes that may whitewash representation and potentially leave many communities of color without the resources they deserve.

There are laws guiding census and field outreach that stakeholders will need to keep in mind when planning their outreach. Census stakeholders have compiled many resources to help educate communities on legal safeguards that are in place to protect the confidentiality of responses. This section will help stakeholders quickly identify topline messages and frequently asked questions about census data confidentiality and guidelines for Get Out the Count activity.