Achieving a Fair, Accurate Census

A modern, accurate, and equitable Census is necessary for fair, effective governance that promotes the common good. An inaccurate Census count skews the allocation of needed resources and programs away from the communities that need them. Historically, there has been systematic undercounting of communities of color, people experiencing poverty, young children, and rural residents. This reduces access to federal funding and representation in Congress for these communities. An equitable census is the foundation for a society in which everybody has a chance for success, all have dignity, and everyone counts.

Conducting a census is constitutionally required and is our government’s single largest peacetime undertaking. Right now the 2020 Census is in real danger even though it is still more than a year away. Census preparations to date have been wrought with serious challenges from funding shortfalls to administrative problems to legal challenges against a possible citizenship question. Robust efforts by justice seekers are needed to overcome these challenges if the 2020 Census is going to avoid gaps in hard-to-count populations.

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