County officials urge residents to complete their census forms

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Freeholder President Brendan Gill and Freeholder Vice President Wayne Richardson encourage all Essex County residents to complete the U.S. census to ensure a complete and accurate population count is achieved in Essex. Completing the census is important, even as the country is occupied with the spread of COVID-19, according to a press release from the county; the census count is critically important to the disbursement of federal funds and resources.

“While we know addressing the coronavirus is the most important issue affecting us all and we are taking dramatic steps to avoid its spread, our residents should remember to take the time and complete the census. For the first time in history, people can avoid contact with a census taker at their home by responding online, over the phone in many different languages or through the mail. This allows everyone to continue to practice social distancing and complete the census,” DiVincenzo said. “This is very important because census data is not only used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives, but it also helps determine how government funding is distributed for hospitals, roadways and bridges, emergency response, schools, and hospitals.”

Residents are encouraged to respond online as soon as they receive the invitation with the provided instructions. If you misplace your census form, you can still fill out the census without the unique code listed on the form. 

For more information about the 2020 census, visit 2020census.gov.