April 1st is “Census Day”

April first is “Census Day,” a day to promote participation in the 2020 census. But the U.S. census count is being disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

As of March 31, more than 36% of the nation’s households had responded, according to the census website (census.gov). But the coronavirus is interrupting the process. “We have delayed and even suspended some of our operations, temporarily,” says Michael Cook from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Door-to-door census deliveries are now on hold to millions of homes in some rural areas. The need for an accurate count ensures communities get political representation and federal dollars for roads, schools, emergency services, and money that can aid in times of a crisis. “Those funds, those resources that are provided to communities across the country, they deal with things like emergency preparedness,” Cook says.

COVID-19 is also impacting how college students will be counted, since many have moved home with classes now canceled. When filling out the census, students must use the address where they lived during the school year.

An unprecedented time, presenting challenges for the Census Bureau that insists it will meet the deadline mandated by the constitution to ensure everyone is counted.