x
Breaking News
More () »

VERIFY: Why you should not refuse to fill out the Census

A document that’s supposed to help the government count every single person living in the United States leads to controversy.

Every ten years, it pops up in your mail: The Census survey.

It’s a document that’s supposed to help the government count every single person living in the United States. While that may sound simple, it definitely isn’t without controversy.

In 2018, the backlash erupted after the Trump Administration added a question regarding a person’s citizenship. We, however, verified that the citizenship question will NOT be on the 2020 survey. Back in June, the Supreme Court ruled against the President and refused to allow the question to be included.

The latest issue to rile people up is the section on race. In published articles and websites like Reddit, people are saying that Middle Eastern and North Africans do not have a box to check. So we wanted to know: Are they really being left out? According to the sample survey released online - that is correct. Persons of those races will have to fill out the “some other race” section.

And there are also people who just don’t want the government knowing their business. So can you refuse to fill out the Census or is it required by law? We verified Title 13 of the U.S. Code says that your response is required by law.

While it may seem like a hassle to some, the results can be extremely important— determining seats in congress, redistricting and the distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds.

Not filling out the census can lead to a fine up to $5,000.

All Census Bureau employees are sworn for life to protect all information collected and the data is not shared with any federal agency or law enforcement entity. If they are caught violating this oath, they could face up to five years in prison or a fine up to $250,000.

Before You Leave, Check This Out