Window Tightens For Getting Accurate Census Count In Nebraska

OMAHA- As the Trump administration works to end the US Census Bureau’s once-a-decade tally required by the US Constitution one month early, nonprofits throughout Nebraska are making a final push to ensure that all residents are counted.

Hannah Young with the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands says getting an accurate count will mean that enough federal tax dollars return to Nebraska for critical programs and services…

The deadline for the count was pushed back to October 31st after the coronavirus health emergency forced the Census Bureau to shutter canvassing efforts. The Trump administration recently ordered the bureau to wrap up work by September 30th, citing the need to deliver final numbers to Congress by their December 31st deadline. That move was temporarily blocked last Saturday by a federal court.

Young says she understands the importance of delivering the data to Congress on time, but worries that not counting hard-to-reach groups, including children younger than five, seniors and communities of color, would put additional stress on programs all Nebraskans rely on for the next decade…

As of this week, the Census Bureau estimates that nearly 90 percent of Nebraskans have participated in the head count, a couple of percentage points ahead of the national average. To make sure everyone in your household and your neighborhood end up in the final tally, Young says you can fill out your form online and request telephone assistance by visiting 2020Census.gov.