BALTIMORE, MD (September 25, 2020) — Delegate Robbyn Lewis has led District-wide, door-to-door canvassing for the Census for the past two months in order to ensure a complete count before the Trump administration’s premature end date of September 30th.
Today’s federal court order strikes down Trump’s order and requires the Census Bureau to continue the national head count until October 31st.
This ruling helps the Census effort in Baltimore city. To date, the city’s overall Census response rate is only 55.9% – nearly ten points below the statewide average of 67%, and twenty points short of the stated 73% coverage goal.
“Each person counted helps bring about $18,000 federal dollars back to Baltimore city,” says Delegate Lewis. “There are about 120,000 people living in the 46th District. If half are not counted, then we just forfeited $11 million federal dollars that belong to us. That is our money for schools, health care, small business support and transit service. We desperately need this additional month to knock every door and get our people counted – especially Black and Brown folks and immigrants”.
On Saturday September 26th, Delegate Lewis and Delegate Brooke Lierman will knock doors in the Baltimore Highlands neighborhood, where the response rate is still below 40%. During each of the five canvasses they’ve completed, they have increased the response rate by about 1-2%.
“We have recruited nearly 100 neighborhood volunteers so far – many who are bilingual in Spanish – to join us in knocking doors,” says Delegate Lewis. “In addition, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has been a helpful and effective partner to help us reach out Spanish-speaking constituents,” says Delegate Lewis.
The first 100 people to get counted on Saturday will receive a free meal, courtesy of alkimiah, a local, woman-owned catering collective.
For more information about census outreach activities in the 46th District, please contact Delegate Robbyn Lewis at Robbyn.Lewis@house.state.md.us or 443-604-2984