NY makes push for people to fill out Census
U.S. Census Bureau delays filing deadline from July to end of October
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today kicked off the State’s Census Push Week urging New Yorkers to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census before the Oct. 31 deadline and to make sure every New Yorker is counted in the upcoming census.
“There’s no doubt that Covid-19 has presented unprecedented obstacles to completing the Census,” Cuomo said. “However, the pandemic also highlights a key reason why the Census is so vital—New York State continues to seek substantial funding and aid from the federal government. I urge every New Yorker to complete the Census, and remember, New York State can help if you encounter any issues along the way.”
As part of Census Push Week, the Office for New Americans is hosting a Census Hotline Phone Bank Event on August 5th and 6th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to provide information and answer questions about the Census. The hotline phone bank event will be primarily Spanish-language, with full multi-language access available for all callers. ONA is partnering with El Diario and Telemundo to help promote the phone bank and increase participation of the Latino community.
State agencies are continuing outreach activities to encourage New Yorkers to fill out the Census, including:
- MTA is distributing census information across more than 5,434 digital screens in its system, including stations and transit vehicles.
- The Department of State is training its network of Community Action Agencies, which promote services that combat poverty, to raise awareness of the Census. In addition, the DOS Division of Licensing Services, which interacts with more than 800,000 New Yorkers in 39 occupations, is promoting the Census through its customer service phone line.
- The Department of Financial Services is delivering awareness messages and coordinating their use among the community banks, banks in underbanked areas, check cashers, and money transmission officers, among other entities licensed by the agency.
- Empire State Development is promoting the Census with and distributing materials to the REDCs and their members, welcome centers and other ESD facilities, among other activities.
State agencies are also continuing their coordinated effort across social media platforms to amplify the need for all New Yorkers to participate in the Census. The effort is being conducted in partnership with New York Counts 2020, a statewide coalition focused on maximizing participation in the 2020 Census.
“The Census gives New Yorkers the chance to profoundly affect our state’s future, and since federal funding and representation in Congress are determined by the Census count, it’s absolutely critical that every New Yorker is counted and that residents are informed that Census responses, regardless of the respondents’ immigration or citizenship status, are confidential, safe and secure,” Cuomo said.
In January, the Governor officially kicked off a campaign to raise census awareness, hosting the State’s first census conference where community stakeholders met with administration officials to learn how they could partner with the state to support a complete count.
A few weeks later, the Covid-19 pandemic struck the state, making it dangerous to undertake outreach and limiting the reach of State agencies. At the same time, the state’s finances were disrupted by the pandemic as the State went from projecting a near 7% increase in revenue to a 14% decline, and the federal government has taken no action to help states offset this loss. Recognizing these difficulties across the nation, the U.S. Census Bureau delayed the census filing deadline to the end of October from July.
“It has never been more important for all New Yorkers to complete the Census, and we want to make sure every single person living in New York State is counted,” said New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “Completing the Census is safe and easy, and the information you provide is confidential. New York is helping to ensure every single New Yorker, regardless of citizenship status, is counted and New York gets its fair share of funding for critical services such as healthcare, education and emergency services.”
The Census can be filled out by mail, over the phone or online (click here).
For more information on the Census, click here.
