Participate in 2020 Census, Officials Urge

Notices urging participation in the 2020 Census are going out to every home nationwide beginning this month.

Thomas Nelson officials, in cooperation with U.S. Census Bureau coordinators in our service area, encourage students and College personnel to complete the census online, by mail or phone. Your information is safe and cannot be shared - not with the police, ICE or the FBI.

Done every 10 years, this count of every person living in the country determines local funding for important services including schools and educational programs, roads and highways, Medicare and Medicaid, health clinics, housing support, attracting new business, drawing legislative districts and much more.

It is vital to respond and be counted. For every person who doesn't respond,communities lose up to $2,000 in federal funding per person per year for 10 years.

To answer common questions and assure people that it's safe to respond, the Census Bureau created a rumors website. Here are key concerns people have shared and responses from the Census Bureau.

• Does the 2020 Census ask about citizenship status? No, the 2020 Census does not ask whether you or anyone in your home is a U.S. citizen.
• Are non-citizens counted in the census? Yes, everyone counts! The 2020 Census counts everyone living in the country, including non-citizens.
• Can my answers be shared with law enforcement or used against me? No, the law prevents the Census Bureau from sharing your information with law enforcement. Your answers cannot be used to impact your eligibility for government benefits. Your answers are only used to create statistics about our country. The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to protect your personal information and keep it strictly confidential.
• Can I only take the census online? No, the 2020 Census will be available online, by phone, and by mail. Online and phone responses can be completed in 13 languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Japanese). A paper form will be mailed to every house that hasn't responded already when we send our fourth mail piece out.
• What questions WILL NOT be asked by the Census Bureau? During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for your Social Security number, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or your bank or credit card account numbers.

Visit the Census website, if you have questions about the 2020 Census. Additionally, many cities and counties across the region established webpages specifically for the 2020 Census. Check your town's website for details about how this census will impacts where you live.

College officials encourage everyone to please also help spread the word about the 2020 Census, and let people know it is safe to respond.