On Sunday, April 1 next year, the 2020 Census will be conducted throughout the United States. Our nation's Constitution requires a count, or a census, of America's population every 10 years. An accurate count is one in which every person is counted once, only once, and in the right place.

It is important that the 2020 Census is accurate because census data affects every county and every state in the nation. Census data is used in a variety of ways; two especially critical uses by the federal government are using the data to determine political representation and to distribute federal funding. In terms of political representation, the number of seats for each state in the House of Representatives and the electoral college is based on state population size as determined by the census. When it comes to funding, the federal government allocates $675 billion to states every year based on population totals and other census data.

Alameda County alone gets billions of dollars from the federal government for essential services based solely on the census count. These services include healthcare, school programs, affordable housing, transportation, social services, and more. Approximately 60% of Alameda County's revenue comes from federal and state resources. For every person not counted, the county loses an estimated $2,000 in funding per year for 10 years. According to Alameda County, an undercount of only 3% means the community would lose $1 billion over the next decade.

The size and scope of Census 2020 means that the federal government is ramping up a temporary workforce to handle the challenge. There are a variety of job opportunities related to Census 2020 in the Bay Area, the State of California, and nationally. In addition to paid employees, volunteers will also be a key ingredient in Census 2020.

To help make an accurate census possible, for example, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors created the Alameda County Complete Count Committee (CCC) for Census 2020. The Board of Supervisors also allocated $1.5 million "to ensure that all of the county's hard-to-count communities are included in next year's census count," according to Alessia Simmonds, Outreach Manager for the Alameda County Complete Count Committee.

CCC is a regional cross sector stakeholder group working to maximize participation in Census 2020 through public outreach as well as by promoting Census jobs. CCC provides partners with information from the Census Bureau and State Census Office, as well as opportunities to share updates, learn best practices, acquire tools, and develop appropriate messaging. Its meetings are open to the public for all organizations and individuals working to promote Census 2020.

Individuals and organizations that want to support an accurate census process in Alameda County can help in a variety of ways. Contact casey.farmer@acgov.org for a presentation if your organization wants to learn more about why the Census matters, what the process entails, and what Alameda County is doing to prepare. Interested parties are invited to become Census Ambassadors by attending training and learning how to conduct Census outreach.

Interested parties are also invited to lead Census 2020 engagement in their specific communities by joining a subcommittee of the CCC. Those subcommittees include Affordable Housing, Cities, Education, Elected Officials, Health, Immigrants, LGBTQ, Libraries, People with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, Unhoused, and Workforce Development.

"There are a multitude of challenges" when it comes to an accurate Census 2020, according to Simmonds. Simmonds, the CCC, many volunteers, and the Alameda Board of Supervisors are working to make sure every person in Alameda County is counted on April 1, 2020. With community support, they hope that no Alameda County resident will go uncounted.

For more information about the Alameda County Complete Count Committee for Census 2020, please visit www.acgov.org/census2020.

For more information about Census 2020 employment in California, please visit www.census.gov/about/regions/los-angeles/jobs/california.html.