More than $3 billion in education, housing, food, roads and health care programs, at stake for New Mexico

SANTA FE – As the calendar turns to September, the state of New Mexico urges residents to complete the 2020 Census before the Sept. 30 deadline.

The Census takes only minutes to complete – and will support New Mexico for a decade to come.

To complete the form and be counted in the Census, visit 2020Census.gov.

To be counted, you must complete the Census by Sept. 30.

Residents can also call 844-330-2020 (for English) and or 844-468-2020 (para Español) or 844-467-2020 (for TDD) for information and assistance.

The Census is straightforward and incredibly important. Everyone counts – regardless of age, immigration status, race, income or any other demographic – to ensure an equitable distribution of resources from the federal government to the states to meet the needs of the people living in those states.

The U.S. Census Bureau earlier this summer moved the self-response deadline to Sept. 30, raising fears of an inaccurate or incomplete count.

Over the next decade, more than $3 billion in food programs, roadway safety programs, education programs, health care programs, housing programs and much more – including Congressional representation – are at stake if New Mexico is undercounted.

“Those federal dollars coming back into our state are New Mexicans’ tax dollars,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Those federally funded programs are programs New Mexicans have funded. New Mexicans deserve every penny we are owed by the federal government, and the only way to make sure we get them is to complete the Census. The Trump administration is making it as hard as possible to get counted. They are politicizing a simple foundational tenet of our democracy – that we accurately count the people living in our country so we can distribute resources where people live to meet their needs. But we can get the job done if we pull together and spread the word. Please, take just a few minutes today to fill out the Census at 2020Census.gov – and tell a friend, and ask them to pass it on. Together we can make sure all New Mexicans are counted.”

The state, counties and tribes will continue outreach in the coming month to boost New Mexico’s response rate, which as of Aug. 31 is 55.7 percent. This includes public service announcements, advertising across various media, direct text messaging and phone banking campaigns and other forms of advertising and assistance.