Town of East Hartford Begins 2020 Census Efforts

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Mayor Marcia A. Leclerc was honored to join Governor Susan Bysiewicz, representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau and state and local officials at the East Hartford Public Library this morning to announce the start of the Town of East Hartford’s 2020 Census efforts.

“It is critical that everyone gets counted in East Hartford so that we don’t miss out on federal and state funding for instrumental programs that support our residents,” said Mayor Leclerc. “Our town’s Complete Count Committee will put forth every effort to make sure that those who are at risk of being undercounted know the importance of answering the Census.”

Once every ten years the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count every person in the United States with the goal to create an accurate and valuable statistics. The next enumeration will be conducted in 2020 and it will be the first one to heavily rely on online responses. As part of East Hartford’s Census awareness efforts, Mayor Leclerc launched a Complete Count Committee, comprised of community members who come together to raise awareness about the 2020 Census.

“Communities across Connecticut are doing their part to prepare for the 2020 Census because they understand how critical an accurate count is for our state. The data collected by the census is used to determine nearly $11 billion in federal funding for programs that Connecticut communities depend on for many years to come,” said Lt. Governor Bysiewicz. “I applaud Mayor Leclerc and the City of East Hartford for making the 2020 Census a priority and launching their complete count committee today.”

The goal of the campaign, titled “Everyone Counts in East Hartford,” is to ensure that every person in East Hartford is counted during 2020 Census. Considering this census will be the first to accept online responses, the East Hartford Public Library will play a crucial role in providing our residents with resources and technology to complete the census.

“We are preparing to be a hub for Census 2020 activity at the East Hartford Public Library,” said library director Sarah Morgan. “Since Census 2020 is the first online census, our public computers will serve as an important community resource, and our staff will be ready to assist with Census participation. As information professionals, we know how important it is that our community members have accurate information about the Census, and we are prepared to provide it.”

First taken in 1790, the decennial census is mandated by the Constitution and is the largest mobilization and operation in the United States that requires years of planning and research to ensure accurate count. The complete and accurate count of our population is crucial as it provides the basis for reapportioning congressional seats and distributing federal funds to support vital programs throughout states, counties and communities. The State of Connecticut annually receives over $11 billion dollars in federal funds as a result of census numbers.

“We must now actively ensure that each person is counted in our decennial census as required by our Constitution in order to fairly and equitably distribute federal funds and congressional representation,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “East Hartford has displayed an extraordinary and collaborative commitment to reaching out to communities that may be overlooked.”

East Hartford receives a significant amount of federal funds, grants and additional support based on population totals, broken down by age, race, sex and other factors. Therefore, it is important to ensure all residents are properly counted with the goal to be accurately represented in Congress and to receive federal and state aid that our residents need.

“We have a large Latino and Hispanic population in East Hartford that has not been counted in the past,” said Maria Lino, principal at the Latino Way. “The Hispanic population continues to grow in East Hartford and it is important to make sure that all representatives of our community are properly counted.”