Fair and Open Elections

Complete and Accurate Census

The census determines federal funding for such programs as food assistance to needy families, early childhood education for low-income children and maintenance for our bridges and roads for the next 10 years, as well as the number of congressional seats the state has and how political districts are drawn. A low count in New York City and state could cost us one or two representatives in Congress and billions of dollars in federal aid.
New York is filled with hard to count communities, including immigrants, non-English speaking New Yorkers and children. Citizens Union has supported efforts to allocate government funding of census outreach programs that have been shown to boost participation.

Our Reform Agenda

Highlights:

Statement July 22, 2020

Statement from Citizens Union on President Trump’s Memorandum Excluding Immigrants from Being Counted in 2020 Census

Statement June 14, 2019

Citizens Union Applauds Mayor, City Council, for Funding Census Outreach

Letters October 23, 2018

New York Counts Coalition Requests City Funding for Community Based Organizations for Census Engagement

Recent Action on Complete and Accurate Census

Statements

July 22, 2020

Statement from Citizens Union on President Trump’s Memorandum Excluding Immigrants from Being Counted in 2020 Census

March 16, 2020

As New York Tackles Coronavirus Outbreak, Citizens Union Urges New Yorkers Not to Forget to Fill Out Census Forms

November 19, 2019

Citizens Union Applauds Governor Cuomo for Allocating Funding to Count Every New Yorker in the 2020 Census

June 14, 2019

Citizens Union Applauds Mayor, City Council, for Funding Census Outreach

Letters

October 23, 2018

New York Counts Coalition Requests City Funding for Community Based Organizations for Census Engagement

Videos

March 24, 2020

Wondering what happens to the 2020 Census amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?

Visit Citizens Union's Library for insights on Complete and Accurate Census.