Census deadline extended to October 31

The deadline to complete the 2020 Census has recently been extended through Saturday, October 31^st. Common Council President Cavalier Johnson is urging all residents who have not yet responded to the Census to take advantage of the extension and do so today.

“As I’ve been sharing for months, having an accurate Census count is vital to help support funding for community resources and services, as well as making sure we have fair representation in our government,” said Alderman Johnson. “I’m asking residents who have not completed the Census on their own, or with assistance from an enumerator, to take 10 minutes and complete the Census today. It’s one small way in which you can make a big impact in your community.”

2020 Census data will be used to determine the fair allocation of more than $675 billion in federal funds each year over the next 10 years to states and local communities. This money helps support education, housing, health programs and more. Wisconsin receives $12.6 billion annually based on census data. For every resident that goes uncounted, Wisconsin risks losing $1,600 every year over the next 10 years. The Census data will also determine how many seats Wisconsin has in the U.S. House of Representatives and in election wards – meaning an accurate count helps provide fair and equal representation.

Completing the Census, which consists of nine questions, takes minutes and can be done online by visiting www.My2020Census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020. There are 13 different language options for respondents and your information is kept private. Information disclosed in Census surveys cannot, by law, be shared with any law enforcement agencies and is stored confidentially, without personally identifiable information.

To date, Milwaukee’s self-response rate is 61%, which trails the state self-response rate of 72% and national self-response rate of 66.7%. Milwaukee is outpacing many of its peer cities, but is still behind its 2010 Census response rate of 68%.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.