At the start of each decade, the government is constitutionally mandated to count the number of people living in the US. Known as the census, this process is critical for determining democratic representation and allocation of resources throughout the country.
It is always difficult to get an accurate count. Vulnerable populations like people experiencing homelessness, undocumented immigrants, young children, and others are particularly difficult to count. Of course, 2020 has added an additional layer of difficulty with the COVID-19 pandemic making in-person outreach near impossible. Given this challenge, the Census Bureau had extended the count deadline to October 31st, giving states and communities more time to ensure all residents are counted.
But last week, the Census Bureau announced that that that it would change the deadline, moving it up a month to September 30th. Here at the Scattergood Foundation, we believe in elevating the voices of those often unheard – and this change flies directly in the face of that core value. This is why we, along with 480 other philanthropic organizations from across the country, signed a letter to the Census Bureau urging them to keep the October 31st deadline.
We hope you’ll do your part to support an accurate census count!