It's Census Day! Get Counted and Enter our Social Media Contest

Wednesday Apr 1st, 2020

Today is one of the most important dates of the decade. Every ten years, our country conducts a Census to count EVERYONE living here. Political representation and federal funding are based on this count for the next ten years. Baltimore is typically undercounted, which means we get less representation and funding than we should receive.Currently, Baltimore has a 28.8% self response rate compared to Maryland (36.5%) and the US (34.7%) overall.

We need your help to spread the word about the importance of the Census! Many people have extra time on their hands right now and are wondering what they can do to help vulnerable populations. Getting the word out about the Census is an excellent use of your time, with a long lasting outcome. The community benefits from an additional $18,000 over the next ten years for each person counted!

Ensuring that #BmoreCounts is Easy with Two Steps You Can Take This Week!

1. Complete the Census today!

It only takes 10 minutes via an online form OR you can respond by phone and get assistance from a live person (844-330-2020).

2. Enter the #BmoreCensusChallenge Social Media Contest

Census Challenge

Enter our social media contest to share the importance of the Census. You will have a chance to win great prizes for the most likes, shares and re-tweets.

  1. Post a Census 2020 themed picture or meme with the hashtag #bmorecensuschallenge
  2. It is as easy as posting a picture with your census envelope, sharing information from this email, or sharing an existing meme -- or you can get creative and create your own.
  3. Tag at least 3 friends. 
  4. Tag us (@BaltPlan on IG and @BaltimorePlanning on Facebook).
  5. There will be GREAT prizes for both English and non-English posts. 

Additional Resources and FAQ

Is your neighborhood getting counted?

Check out this interactive map of the response rate by census tract and see how your neighborhood is doing. 

 

Count EVERYONE

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It is important to count EVERYONE living in your household.

  • Don’t forget to count the kids and the babies. Children under five are often mistakenly left off of the Census form.
  • Count EVERYONE living in your household, even if they aren’t on the lease. Census information will NOT be shared with anyone, including law enforcement, ICE, IRS, Housing Authority, landlords, etc.
  • Include people who are living at your house temporarily – your cousin who is sleeping on the couch because he’s between jobs or your friend who is staying with you for a while because he just got out of prison.

Will Census Employees Come to My Door this Spring?

You may see Census Employees conducting multiple operations in communities due to the COVID-19 Delays in the timeline. Please know that so long as your Census is complete by June, you should not expect an in-person follow-up. For more information on how to identify a Census Employee, please visit this link.

 

Language Support

The 2020 Census can be completed by phone in the following languages. Phone lines are open every day from 7am to 2am Eastern Time. 

For information on services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing: Call the TDD number at 844-467-2020.

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