2020 Census – It is Important to our Community
Thank you to the Ortonville Kiwanis for agreeing to represent Ortonville as the Complete Count Committee (CCC)! If you have questions, the core Kiwanis group assigned to this effort consists of Wanda Berry, John Thomas, and Vanessa Lhotka Meyer. Vicki Oakes of the Ortonville EDA has been appointed as the liaison (point person connecting the CCC and the Census connection.)
Obtaining an accurate count – counting everyone! – is very important to our community!
The United States began conducting a census of population and housing in 1790. The U. S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, mandates the apportionment of representatives among the states for the House of Representatives every 10 years.
Why is it important to count everyone?
- Population counts determine how the 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats are divided between the 50 states
- the distribution of federal funding to our states is determined by this population count – items such as
- the SNAP program
- public housing
- WIC
- Adoption Assistance
- Link to Counting for Dollars 2020 Minnesota List
Privacy – The Census is Confidential and Required by Law!
Individual records from the decennial censuses are by law confidential for 72 years.
In addition, all Census Bureau employees swear a lifetime oath to protect respondent data. It is a felony for any Census Bureau employee to disclose any confidential census information during or after employment, and the penalty for wrongful disclosure is up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.
Ways to Respond
LINK: https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html
- Online
- By phone
- By mail
Completing the Census takes about 10 minutes.
In mid-March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census.
Great link for complete info: Who to Count (LINK)