Did you know today is Constitution Day? On September 17^th of 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution in Philadelphia.

Most Americans know that this document established the framework of our government and the rights and freedoms that “We the People” enjoy today. A lesser known fact is that the Constitution requires the decennial census that we’ve been blogging about for the past few months. In fact, Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution requires an “actual enumeration” be made every ten years – meaning every single resident of the United States must be counted.

Completing the census is a patriotic responsibility that has huge implications for every person living in the U.S. The census count helps determine everything from how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives, the number of state legislative districts needed, how much federal funding is allocated to states and localities, and which communities need a new elementary school, hospital, or highway.

Though Census Day (April 1, 2020) may seem far away, there is a lot of preparation that must take place to ensure every resident is counted once, only once, and in the right place. Here are a few ways you can show your love of country this Constitution Day by helping your community get ready for #2020Census.

• Advocate for the creation of a Complete Count Committee in your county so that local stakeholders can work together to ensure no one gets missed in 2020.
• Encourage your local schools to participate in Constitution Week activities that introduce students to the census and why it’s so important for their household to be counted.
• Spread the word about available Census jobs so these good-paying jobs go to people in your community. The Census Bureau is now looking to hire Recruiting Assistance positions in every Kentucky county!