With Tuesday’s US Supreme Court ruling that the Trump Administration could end the Census count, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is urging people to complete the forms now.
The count has to end by 11:59 p.m. Thursday Hawaii time or 5: 59 a.m. Friday in New York. The Census can be completed from home in less than 10 minutes, by phone or by mail.
“The Census only happens once every 10 years and it’s one of the most important ways New Yorkers can help ensure the state gets the representation and funding we need in Washington. This process profoundly affects our state’s future, and I strongly urge every New Yorker to participate and do it now,” Cuomo said. “As New York continues the fight for aid from the federal government to help us respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is now for New Yorkers to complete the Census.”
The Census is conducted every 10 years and affects federal aid for schools, roads, health car, housing, economic development and more. It also affects congressional representation.
Four Ways to Respond. There are four ways to respond to the 2020 Census: online, by phone, by mail or in person (with the help of Census taker who will be visiting households which have not yet responded). Visit https://my2020census.
Questions Asked. The Census asks how many people are living in your household as of April 1, 2020. The Census asks just 10 basic questions: name; number of people living or staying in the home on April 1, 2020; whether the residence is owned or rented; telephone number (only to be used if needed for official Census Bureau business); sex; age; date of birth; Hispanic origin; race; and relationship with other household members.
College students should be counted where they would have been staying on April 1, 2020, even if they went home early due to a COVID-19 school closure or a shift to distance learning.
The Census will never ask for citizenship or immigration status, Social Security numbers, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party or for your bank or credit card account numbers.
Census takers are hired from your area, and their goal is to help you and everyone in your home be counted in the 2020 Census. If the census taker who visits your home does not speak your language, you may request a return visit from a census taker who does speak your language. 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.