Help California Achieve and Accurate Count!
You can help California by communicating to your employees and customers to fill out and return their Census form by April 1st!
TOP 10 Low-Cost Ways Your Business Can Participate
in Census 2010:
1. Include a Census message on employee’s paychecks during February, March, and April 2010.
- Short Messages/Slogans
- Electronic Messages
2. Include a Census message on a flyer in customer bags, printed on bags, on ATM, register receipts, or on electronic message prompters.
- Short Messages/Slogans
- Electronic Messages
3. Talk to your employees & customers about the confidentiality of the Census.
4. Display Census posters or handouts for customers during January – April 2010.
- Posters, Badges and Banners
- Logos
- 10 Questions 10 Minutes Handout
- General Information Handout
5. Include Census informational materials or Frequently Asked Questions at your business sponsored events during January – April 2010
- Informational Materials
- FAQs (see below)
6. Put an article in your company newsletter (or encourage employees to put articles in professional association newsletters).
7. Send an email blast or PSA announcements to your employees, customers, and industry partners.
- Sample Email Newsletter
- Sample PSAs
8. Post 2010 Census messages and information, banners, or badges on your blog or official Web site.
- Short Messages/Slogans
- Posters, Badges and Banners
- Logos
- Sample Web Site Information
9. In a company meeting mention the Census is coming and list a few reasons why people should participate.
10. Display promotional materials or logos in your business, office or store fronts.
TOP 5 Easy Ways Your Employees Can Participate in Census 2010:
1. Write letters to the editor.
- Sample Letter to the Editor
- Sample Op Ed Article
2. Encourage employees to put articles in newsletters of clubs or professional associations.
3. Encourage employees to tell their friends, family and neighbors that the Census is Safe and Confidential, easy, and Important!
- Safety Messages
- Census At-A-Glance
4. Encourage employees to talk about the Census at their clubs and professional associations.
5. Encourage employees to follow us on Facebook and Twitter OR post your own messages on company Facebook or Twitter accounts
2010 Census: General Background
Census data determines the following:
- Federal program funding
- State and community planning
- State redistricting
- Electoral College representation
- Congressional apportionment
Background:
- As part of the census, every person living in California must be counted. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and noncitizens.
- The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years for the purposes of reapportioning the U.S. House of representatives.
- California is required to reconstruct Congressional, State Legislative and other districts based on census data.
- The next census is in 2010.
- One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census form asks 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
- By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s personal information with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.
- Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data.
- Census data guide local government decisions regarding which services to provide and where to build new roads, hospitals, senior centers, schools and more.
Impact:
The census provides an accurate count of the population for apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives and subsequent redistricting of legislative bodies in the states. Aside from this legislative function, the decennial census influences the funding of many federal programs. Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. California could lose approximately $3,000 for every Californian that is not counted.
These funds can go toward programs such as Medicaid, education (including Title I and vocational education), social services (including block grants for childcare, rehabilitation services, and substance abuse prevention and treatment), transportation, and many others.
The 2010 Census is particularly important to California because for the first time since 1790, we are projected to show a significant population decrease. California is in danger of losing a congressional seat to another state.
California could lose a congressional seat for the first time in its 160-year history. Election Data Services and Polidata predict that given census population estimates in California from 2005-2007 that California could lose a congressional seat.
2010 Census Key Dates
- Fall 2008: Recruitment begins for local census jobs for early census operations.
- Spring 2009: Census employees go door-to-door to update address lists nationwide.
- Fall 2009: Recruitment begins for census takers to support peak workload in 2010.
- February-March 2010: Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
- April 1, 2010: Census Day
- May-July 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.
- December 2010: By law, Census Bureau delivers population counts to the President for apportionment.
- March 2011: By law, Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to states.
5 Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who should fill out the census questionnaire?
The individual in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented should complete the questionnaire on behalf of every person living in the residence, including relatives and non-relatives.
Q. How will the 2010 Census differ from previous censuses?
In 2010, every residence will receive a short questionnaire of just 10 questions. More detailed socioeconomic information previously collected through the decennial census will be asked of a small percentage of the population through the annual American Community Survey. To learn more about the American Community Survey, visit www.census.gov.
Q. How are census data used?
Census data determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data also can help determine the allocation of federal funds for community services, such as school lunch programs and senior citizen centers, and new construction, such as highways and hospitals.
Q. What kind of assistance is available to help people complete the questionnaire?
2010 Census questionnaire language assistance guides are available in a variety of languages. Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC) will also assist those unable to read or understand the questionnaire. Large-print questionnaires are available to the visually impaired upon request, and a Teletext Device for the Deaf (TDD) program will help the hearing impaired. Contact your Regional Census Center for more details about the types of assistance available and for QAC locations.
Q. How does the Census Bureau count people without a permanent residence?
Census Bureau workers undertake extensive operations to take in-person counts of people living in group quarters, such as college dormitories, military barracks, nursing homes and shelters, as well as those who have been displaced by natural disasters.
For more information about the 2010 Census, go to californiacompletecount.org.
