In less that two weeks, you’ll have your chance to make your voice heard by casting your vote.
Next year it’s just as important that Hoosiers stand up and be counted.
The 2020 Census is just around the corner, and the stakes are high. The information collected in the census, taken every 10 years, is used by the federal government to determine how to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars — toward Medicaid, food stamps, highway projects and other programs. The Indianapolis Business Journal recently noted that nearly $18 billion is on the line for Indiana, which is how much in annual federal funding the state receives based on population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The census also affects political redistricting and congressional apportionment.
It’s estimated that for every person missed in the count, Indiana will lose about $10,000 in federal funds over the next decade.
For the first time in the history of the census, residents will be able to respond to the questionnaire online. They can also respond over the phone or by returning a paper questionnaire.
A recent letter to the editor in the Indianapolis Star from the chairman of the Every Hoosier Child Counts! coalition noted that children from birth to age 4 and ages 5 to 9 are the two age groups most likely to be undercounted, with African American and Hispanic young children having a higher net undercount than other children. One in five children were missed in the 2010 census because their family did not return the form; four in five lived in families that returned the form but didn’t include the young child on it.
Indiana’s self-response rate is high, with a 79% participation rate, but that’s no reason for anyone to be complacent. It’s also worth noting that while 23 states, including California and Illinois, have allocated large sums of money to the 2020 Census to ensure everyone in their communities is counted, Indiana is relying on its existing resources.
The Census 2020 website features a countdown clock to April 1, the date by which every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Indiana and its 6.7 million residents have a lot to gain — and lose. It’s critical that all Hoosiers stand up and be counted.