Electronic kiosks for the 2020 census will soon be installed at the emerging VERIFICATION sites COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, officials said Wednesday.
The decision, they said, is intended to mitigate the possibility that it will have an effect on President Trump’s newly renewed efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the account.
Kiosks are also components of a broader effort to ensure that all county citizens are counted in the once-a-decade survey, which determines representation in Congress and redistribution of districts and reports how billions of federal spending is allocated each year. This investment is used for schools, roads and hospitals, among many other public resources.
Electronic tablets will be held for others to complete their census bureaucracy while they wait for testing.
“Our team is determined to make sure we have a full count here in Santa Clara County, because that’s our right,” said Nick Kuwada, director of the county census effort. “When he completes the census, he helps himself, his community, especially in this era of COVID-19.”
According to county data, 30% of Santa Clara County families have still participated in this year’s census.
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the administration’s efforts to position a citizenship factor in the census.
“As we took a look across the country, we’ve noticed that the president of the United States is retiring nationally to erase the voices,” said Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara’s supervisor. “Whether you’re a citizen or not, it’s vital to make sure it’s not erased.”
Santa Clara County has approximately 200,000 undocumented residents, or approximately 10 of the population, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center study.
According to David Campos, deputy director of Santa Clara County, data accumulated through the census is kept confidential, ensuring that undocumented citizens are at risk if they participate.
In mid-March, invitations to participate in the census were mailed to every U.S. household, regardless of citizenship status. This is the first year the census questionnaire can be completed online — as well as by mail or phone. For households that have not yet completed it, Census Bureau employees will begin in-person interviews at people’s homes starting on Aug. 11. Forms must be completed by Oct. 31.
Residents can complete the census questionnaire here or by calling 844-330-2020, free of charge.