NY encourages everyone to fill out Census

Posted 1 April 2020 at 6:32 pm

Press Release, NYS Department of State

The New York State Department of State and several state agencies today encouraged all New Yorkers to complete the Census on National Census Day, April 1.

All New Yorkers should count themselves at the place where they are living and sleeping most of the time as of April 1, 2020.

“With the 2020 Census count well underway, I encourage all New Yorkers to join me on this National Census Day and complete the Census today,” said New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “Completing the Census is safe and easy, and during this time when we are all practicing social distancing, the Census can be completed from the comfort of your own home. Under the leadership of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, we are helping to ensure every single New Yorker is counted and New York gets its fair share of federal funding, which has never been more important.”

Once every decade, the nation conducts the Census, which is a constitutionally mandated count of every American, regardless of their citizenship status. The decennial census is one of the nation’s most important programs. New Yorkers’ fair share of federal funds for programs essential to health care, education, emergency planning, housing, economic development and transportation, as well as our congressional representation in Washington, all depends on an accurate and fully counted census response.

Below is key information on the upcoming Census count for all New Yorkers to keep in mind when completing the Census:

Three Ways to Respond

There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census: online, by phone or by mail. Click here to complete the Census online or call 1-844-330-2020 to complete the Census by phone. Additional phone numbers for a variety of languages can be found by clicking here. You can also mail in the form you should have received in March from the Census Bureau.

Questions Asked

The Census asks how many people are living in your house as of April 1, 2020. The Census will ask 10 basic questions: name; number of people living or staying in the home on April 1, 2020; whether residence is a house, apartment, or mobile home; telephone number (only to be used if needed for official Census Bureau business); sex; age; date of birth; Hispanic origin; race; relationship with other household members.

The Census will never ask for immigration status, social security numbers, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party or for your bank or credit card account numbers.

Protecting your Data

The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. In fact, every employee takes an oath to protect your personal information for life. Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your immigration status, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics.

Avoiding Scams Online

The U.S. Census Bureau does not contact people by email. The use of any website that mentions being affiliated with the U.S. Census should be verified. The easiest way to verify the site is to check if address includes “.gov,” as only official U.S. and state government websites can use “.gov.” Fraudulent sites purporting to be official government service providers may steal personal information.

Reporting Suspected Fraud

If you suspect fraud, call 800-923-8282 to speak with a local Census Bureau representative. If it is determined that the visitor who came to your door does not work for the Census Bureau, contact your local police department.

Official Census information can be found by visiting the U.S. Census Bureau website and by visiting New York State’s Census website.

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