Policy Briefs
March 27, 2020
Census 2020 and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Census Day, April 1st, is the biggest kick-off event for Census 2020. The data gathered from the
census is used to allocate federal funds to many important public programs, including Medicaid
and nutrition programs. With much of the country practicing social isolation, many of the official
activities meant to drum up enthusiasm around the census are being suspended or cancelled. A
robust response is extremely important now, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will
increase the need for health care and social services. In addition, responding now via mail, phone
or online reduces the need for door-to-door census workers later. The current completion goal
for census counting is July 31st, however, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is considering
pushing this back in the interest of accuracy.
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