April 1 is Census Day across the country, named for the date by which every American should have received at least one invitation to complete the 2020 Census.
Greta Johnson, with Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro's office, said they always anticipated challenges in gathering accurate census data. She said refugees and immigrants are often hesitant to participate out of fear the information could be used against them.
Johnson also said the coronavirus outbreak has made the process more challenging. She said as many Ohio residents stay home, she hopes they take the time to submit their census forms because situations like the coronavirus show how important accurate census data is.
“Many resources we will be requesting now and in the months to come will be related to our population size," Johnson said. "As such, it is really important to have the accurate count.”
She also said the data is important because it determines the number of congressional districts in the state, which can directly impact the lives of every Ohioan. Several deadlines were extended for the collection of census data because of the coronavirus. More about the deadlines can be found at 2020census.gov.
