Attorney General Frosh Urges Marylanders to Get Counted!
BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh is encouraging Marylanders to complete the Decennial Census questionnaire, ensuring an accurate count of Maryland’s population. As of this week, the national response rate to the 2020 Decennial Census was 49.1%; Maryland was 52%, tied for 15th highest in the country. Of the counties in Maryland, Howard County had the highest participation rate at 62.7%, with Worcester the lowest at 23.8%.
“Every Marylander can play an important role in making sure Maryland gets its fair share of federal funding,” said Attorney General Frosh. “The Census is one of our most important civic duties, helping to determine funding for critical services in our communities. The Census results also determine our congressional representation, and are used to draw the boundary lines for congressional, state legislative, and local political districts.”
Every Maryland household was sent by mail an invitation to respond to the 2020 Census in March. Using the information from that invitation, Marylanders can easily fill out the Census questionnaire online. If you did not receive an invitation in the mail, you can still complete the questionnaire online at www.my2020census.gov or by phone at 844-330-2020. Paper Census questionnaires will also be mailed out this month.
The 2020 Census counts everyone living in the United States and its territories. In responding to the questionnaire, everyone who lives and sleeps at the home most of the time as of April 1, 2020, should be included in the count. This includes young children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with you, even temporarily. Please note that if someone is staying with you temporarily on April 1 due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they usually live. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school, even if they are home early because of the COVID-19 situation. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off-campus, they should respond for the off-campus address and include any roommates or other people living there. The personal information furnished in the questionnaire is kept confidential under federal law, and is only used for statistical purposes.
The Census can be completed online or by phone in 13 different languages. In addition, bilingual invitations and paper questionnaires (in English and Spanish) will be sent to select areas of the country.
Citizens should also be wary of scammers looking to use the Census as an opportunity to commit fraud. To protect yourself from potential online or phone scams, be aware that the U.S. Census Bureau will never ask for:
– Your full Social Security number;
– Your bank account, credit card numbers, or passwords;
– Money or donations; or
– Anything dealing with political parties.
If someone visits your home to collect a response for the 2020 Census, it will only be because your home has not yet responded by phone, mail, or online. There are steps you can take to verify the person’s identity. The individual:
– Must present a valid ID badge that includes their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date;
– May carry a Census Bureau phone, laptop, and/or a bag with a Census Bureau logo;
– If asked, must provide you with supervisor contact information and/or regional office phone number for verification; and
– If asked, must provide you with a letter from the Director of the Census Bureau on U.S. Census Bureau letterhead.
