Cullman pushes for complete Census count

Published 5:30 am Thursday, August 20, 2020

With the 2020 census count coming to an end in just over a month, local officials are asking residents to help Cullman County score an A on participation.

Cullman County’s response rate is currently 64.4, but officials say that’s not enough. “We can do better than 60 percent, that’s a ‘D’,” said Cullman City Clerk Wes Moore. “With your help, we can get to 90 percent; that’s an ‘A’.”

They are also asking people who already filled out their form and mailed it in to go online and fill out the form again, as some mailed in forms have not been delivered to the Census Bureau.

The census takes place every 10 years and data from it is used to determine representation in the United States House of Representatives and electoral college votes. 

Alabama stands to lose two Congressional seats if there is an undercount of the state’s population. Census figures are also used to allocate federal funds for schools, hospitals, health care, food programs, transportation and many grants. The population figures are also used to draw Alabama House and Senate districts.

The 2020 Census will draw to a close at the end of September to give the Census Bureau time to process the data. Because of the coronavirus, the count had originally been extended until the end of October, but the bureau recently moved the end date a month earlier.

According to a fact sheet shared by Moore:

Census workers do NOT estimate.

You MUST complete the questionnaire, phone interview, or in-person interview to be counted.

It is against federal law to NOT complete your census.

You do NOT have to be a US citizen to complete a census.

The Census response ONLY requires the names, address, and ages of all household members.

If you do not fill out your Census, someone will visit your home.

Individuals who have filled out their census form for the household are encouraged to help other family members and friends complete the form as well.