Oklahoma City Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice Hosts Community Voter Registration And Census Drive

Press release from the City of Oklahoma City:

September 8, 2020

Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice is encouraging Oklahoma City residents to register to vote, take the 2020 Census and wear face masks by hosting a series of community events from 4-6 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in September.

“Voting and taking the census are two of the most important things residents can do to ensure their voice counts,” said Councilwoman Nice. “Oklahoma City’s census response rate is 64%, but parts of northeast Oklahoma City have response rates as low as 32%. It is important that we end our census count with higher numbers for our communities that have seen the impact of less resources to build better and forward for the next 10 years.”

A census worker will be on hand to help residents take the census.

Assistance will also be available to help residents register to vote. You will need to provide an unexpired driver’s license or know the last four digits of your social security number. For more information on registering to vote, visit ok.gov/elections.

The socially distanced events will be held from 4-6 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in September:

• Tuesdays in the Northeast Town Center parking lot, 1148 NE 36th Street (Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29)
• Thursdays in the JFK Park parking lot, 1824 NE 16th Street (Sept. 10, 17 and 24)
• Sundays in the Spencer Shopping Center parking lot, NE 23rd Street and Spencer Road (Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27)

People who attend the event will receive free disposable face masks while supplies last.

Community organizations and people interested in volunteering are encouraged to email Councilwoman Nice at ward7@okc.gov.

Census

The deadline to take the 2020 U.S. Census is Sept. 30. People who are unable to attend the Ward 7 events can take the census online at my2020Census.gov, by phone at (844) 330-2020 or by mailing the form they received in March.

It’s important to include everyone living in your household on April 1, even people temporarily living with you. People who don’t have a permanent residence should be counted where they were on April 1.

The census is the once-a-decade count of every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. It counts everyone, regardless of citizenship.

A complete and accurate count of Oklahoma City residents in the 2020 Census is critical. Experts estimate each person who isn’t counted in the census survey costs our community about $1,675 in local federal funding per person every year for 10 years. It also affects congressional representation and more.

Community services with federal funding tied to the census count include:

• Breakfast and lunch programs for schools
• Medicare and Medicaid
• Transit
• Head Start
• Highways
• Hospitals
• Pell grants

The census questionnaire asks nine simple questions, like how many people were living or staying in your home on April 1, whether a home is owned or rented and the age of everyone in the household. The census will not ask for your social security number, citizenship status, bank accounts or any questions on behalf of a political party.

Learn more about the census in Oklahoma City at okc.gov/census.

Federal law requires the U.S. Census Bureau to keep your responses confidential and protect your data. It also requires everyone to be counted in the census. Visit my2020census.gov for more on the census.

This press release was produced by the City of Oklahoma City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.