PD Editorial: Too many Californians skip the census

Californians have had plenty of time on their hands over the past three months, but that hasn't resulted in an enthusiastic response to the census. In fact, according to figures made public last week, the response rate is lower than it was 10 years ago. A little more than 62% of California households have filled out census forms. Sonoma County, at 64.4%, is slightly ahead of the state average. San Mateo County has the highest response rate at 71.7%; Mono County is lowest at 13.6%.

The census will determine how billions of federal dollars are allocated over the next decade and how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. There is no advantage in going uncounted.

As the state reopens, census teams will hit the streets to try to find people who haven't been counted. But there's no need to wait. You can go to my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020. If you don't get counted, another state will benefit.

You can send a letter to the editor at letters@pressdemocrat.com.