Beginning May 13, through May 27, New Yorkers who complete the census online and enter for a chance to receive a personal call from celebrities Lin-Manuel Miranda or Mo Rocca.
Miranda is an actor, composer and producer best known for creating the smash-hit Broadway musicals The Heights and Hamilton. Mo Rocca is an actor, comedian and correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, as well as the host and creator of My Grandmother's Ravioli on the Cooking Channel.
This video show Lin-Manuel Miranda calling one of his biggest fans in New York City during the first round of the contest:
The Contest
To enter the contest, New Yorkers must complete the census at my2020census.gov on their computer or smartphone, take a photo or screenshot of the confirmation screen, e-mail the image, their name, neighborhood, and borough, and one sentence about what the census means to them to info@census.nyc.gov.
For full contest rules, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/
Why the 2020 Census is So Important
The census determines whether New York City receives its fair share of hundreds of billions distributed by the federal government every year for important programs and services, including investments in New York City's health care system; it's how public health officials get the foundational data that public health experts use to plan for and manage situations like COVID-19.
Therefore, the more New Yorkers who fill out the census, the more money the city receives for schools, health care, transportation, job training, and so much more. The census also determines each state's fair share of representation in Congress, as well as how local, state, and federal legislative district lines are drawn, meaning the power of New York City's voice in Washington, D.C., and Albany is also based on the census.
Entering the Census is Now Easier Than Ever
Given the spread of COVID-19, the NYC Census 2020 campaign is focused on encouraging New Yorkers to self-respond from home, as stay-at-home orders have place limitations on door-to-door solicitations.
But the Census has made responding easier and more accessible than ever. It takes five minutes -- not even that long-- and can be done online at My2020Census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-22020.
New Yorkers can fill out the census at my2020census.gov or via 15 different phone lines in different languages:
English
844-330-2020 | Spanish
844-468-2020 | Mandarin
844-391-2020 |
Cantonese
844-398-2020 | Vietnamese
844-461-2020 | Korean
844-392-2020 |
Russian
844-417-2020 | Arabic
844-416-2020 | Tagalog
844-478-2020 |
Polish
844-479-2020 | French
844-494-2020 | Haitian Creole
844-477-2020 |
Portuguese
844-474-2020 | Japanese
844-460-2020 | Telephone Display Device (TDD)
844-467-2020 |