With the 2020 census quickly approaching, Pleasantville residents had an opportunity to hear about the process and how to properly respond.
During an Oct. 28 meeting of the Village Board, Norma Drummond, Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning, gave a presentation on the latest developments to help residents figure out what they need to know.
Why is the census important?
According to Drummond, the census, which is mandated by the Constitution, requires every person living in Westchester County to participate.
“This data will be an official data source for the next 10 years for the purpose of determining New York State’s representation in Congress, but also in equitably distributing all the State and County elected positions,” she said. “Lastly, this census data will be the basis for many funding decisions in the coming years – so getting the count right is extremely important.”
When does the 2020 census begin?
Next year’s census is set to officially begin around mid-March—a few weeks before Census Day (April 1), Drummond said. Residents will have until the end of July to respond, but “if households haven’t responded by the middle of April, census takers (enumerators) will start being sent out to knock on the doors and collect these counts,” she added.
Drummond’s presentation also mentioned that the Census Bureau is expected to announce the new population counts by Dec. 31, 2020.
What’s new for the 2020 census?
For the first time in census history, the 2020 count will allow residents to respond online. While paper forms will still be available, Drummond noted that the electronic route “causes concern for older persons, persons with disabilities and for those that don’t have access to the internet.”
What questions will the 2020 census ask?
Most of the questions will be similar to what census forms have asked for in previous counts, according to Drummond’s presentation:
- 100% count of people living or staying in a home
- Housing units and vacancy
- Age, sex, relationship
- Race and Hispanic origin
- Tenure (do you own or rent?)
In July, a federal judge permanently blocked the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. However, the Census Bureau continues to include a question about citizenship on an additional form it asks some U.S. households to complete: The American Community Survey.
Who could the 2020 census undercount?
Since the last count in 2010, Drummond said that children under the age of 5 were the most undercounted group. She also noted that “minorities, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities will all present challenges with accurate counts in [next year’s] census. ”
Wilbur Aldridge, Westchester Regional Director of the NAACP, agreed with Drummond and said that black and brown populations are severely undercounted. The reason these specific populations don’t participate is because of “the distrust for politicians and [the] government, in general,” he said.
However, Aldridge noted that census responses are never shared with other government agencies. He also emphasized the importance of responding to the 2020 census.
“It affects funding, redistricting, as well as all aspects of our lives. Representation in Washington certainly depends on it,” he said. “I hope everyone participates in the process.”
To reach out to “hard-to-count” communities, like Port Chester, which Drummond said was significantly undercounted in the 2010 census results, Westchester County launched its complete count committee in April.
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Drummond said.