ORLANDO, Fla. – It only comes once a decade, and the 2020 census is fast-approaching.
The census has many impacts beyond getting an updated head count, including how $675 billion is distributed to states and cities for public transportation, education, housing and more. It also determines the number of representatives a state has in Congress and the redistricting of voters.
U.S. Census Bureau spokesperson Greg Engle joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com” to break down the once-a-decade population count and why it’s so important.
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“If we don’t do it right this time, it’s not going to change for a decade,” Engle said. “A lot can happen in ten years, so we want to make sure we do this count right.”
Residents can expect to receive an invitation by mail from the U.S. Census Bureau with information on how to fill out the questionnaire. With the massive digital advancements made in the last ten years, for the first time ever the preferred method to fill out the questionnaire is online.
“If we haven’t heard from you by the second time we’ve notified you, we will send you a paper ballot,” Engle said. “For us old people, that’s how we used to fill it out and some of us may be more comfortable with that.”
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The U.S. Census Bureau is also looking for part-time workers to help collect and tabulate data. In January, the agency will start offering jobs that pay anywhere from $13 to $19.50 per hour to help get the most accurate count possible.
April 1, 2020, is Census Count Day across the country. If you’d like to contact the U.S. Census Bureau or to apply for a part-time job head to 2020census.gov.
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