Why is it important? The Census is important to you and your
community. Governments, businesses, and nonprofits all rely on
Census data. And its results affect a wide range of key policy
decisions: Political representation. Census data determine the
number of Congressional seats each state has. It is used to draw
Congressional and state legislative district lines, and in some
communities, it also decides city, county, and school board
seats. Funding. It directly affects how more than $400 billion
per year in federal and state funding is allocated to
communities for neighborhood improvements, public health,
education, transportation, and much more. For each uncounted
Latino, more than $11,000 will be lost over the next decade.
Civil rights. Census data are used to protect our civil rights
such as enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.