OPERATIONAL UPDATES
Approximately 75% of Draper residents have filled out the form as of July 26, 2020. Residents may still respond online, by mail, phone, or in person. Get started here: https://my2020census.gov/
In addition to extending the self-response deadline to October 31, 2020, the Census Bureau will be performing other activities to follow-up on non-responders and to validate information from responders.
- Reminder Postcard (July 22-July 28): The Census Bureau will send an additional reminder postcard to households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.
- Follow-Up Calls (Through October 31): The Census Bureau is making follow-up calls to some households that have already completed the 2020 Census to make sure everyone in their house was counted and to validate information provided.
- In-Person Visits from Census Takers (Through October 31): Census takers will follow local public guidelines when they visit and will be wearing masks. Census takers are hired from local communities. If no one is home when the census taker visits, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail. Census takers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date on the badge.
- Nonresponse Follow-up Re-Interview (August 12-October 31): In some cases, a second census taker may visit a household to conduct a short interview to ensure the quality of data collection activities. These re-interviews are meant to confirm every census taker followed the training and did their jobs correctly.
WHAT IS THE CENSUS?
The 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories. The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support to a community.
WHY DOES THE CENSUS MATTER?
FEDERAL FUNDING: An accurate population count is critical for understanding and meeting our community’s needs, and determining how much federal funding is needed. Utah receives about $5.7 billion a year in federal funding, according to an analysis by George Washington University – that’s about $1,870 per Utah resident. Key programs that rely on this funding include:
- Highway planning and construction
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Medicare Part B
- Section 8 and other housing assistance
- Special education grants (IDEA)
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Head Start
- Emergency Planning
POLITICAL REPRESENTATION: Census data determine the number of U.S. representatives each state sends to Congress and are used to set district boundaries at the state and local levels.
DECISION-MAKING: Census responses are part of the official statistics used by the County and are the main source of data for decisions made at the national, state, and local levels. Government, businesses, nonprofits, and foundations use census data to allocate funding, define where services are delivered, and promote economic development.
DEMOCRACY: It is important for everyone to be counted in the Census to ensure all voices are heard and fairly represented. Inaccurate information suppresses the voices of undercounted groups and undermines the basic political equality that is central to our democracy.