Opinion | Three Governors on How They’re Fighting Trump’s Census Manipulation

The Constitution mandates the Census Bureau achieve a fair and accurate count of every person living in the United States — regardless of ethnicity, immigration status, income level or ZIP code. We hope Congress will dedicate additional funding for the 2020 census, but we aren’t waiting on it. And just as we have responded to the attacks on voting rights, reproductive rights and the environment, our states are pushing back.

Our states will continue to allocate our own resources to support specialized groups, known as Complete Count committees, that draw on local knowledge, influence and resources to educate every community about participating in the census. These committees will work with local and state government leaders, communities of color, indigenous tribes and businesses to convey the message that it’s safe to take part. Strict privacy and confidentiality protections allow our communities to be counted without fear.

California is the largest and hardest to count state. Ten of the nation’s 50 hardest-to-count counties are there, including Los Angeles, the most difficult because of language barriers, the number of homeless people, and renters and immigrant communities that fear and distrust the federal government.

This is why California started planning in 2017, is investing over $187.2 million, more than any other state, and is focused on reaching hard-to-count populations who meet certain demographic, housing and socioeconomic criteria that make it more challenging for them to be counted.

The state has developed a regional approach to engage local partners, trusted messengers and philanthropy in its goal to communicate with people. And California is working with partners to support local questionnaire assistance centers and kiosks so that people can find in-person and in-language help.

Oregon is bringing together local business and philanthropy leaders, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and government partners from across the state to create public-awareness campaigns that will educate Oregonians about the importance of being included in the census. It is crucial that people are informed about the census from trusted community leaders and partners.

Oregon is convening multilingual community forums to share information about the census and listen to people’s concerns; airing culturally specific TV and radio ads; and setting up census assistance centers. The state just passed bipartisan legislation that will allocate $7.5 million for this work.