2020 Census: Do your part while you wait for your order

By Sueli Shaw, DoorDash’s Head of Social Impact

DoorDash believes that all voices should be heard. That’s why we’re reminding everyone in our community who resides in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to complete the 2020 census. This important process takes place only once every 10 years but takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Its results are used to determine critical things like how representation and resources are allocated at the federal, state, and local level. For those allocations to be fair and equitable, all voices need to be counted.

During the month of June, we are including reminders to complete the census in our regular weekly communications to our Merchants, Dashers, and employees. DoorDash customers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico will see a reminder (in English or Spanish, depending on preference) while they wait for their DoorDash delivery.

Learn more about the census below and get started at my2020census.gov.

What is the census?

The census is a count of every person living in the United States (and its overseas territories) that happens once every 10 years. The census counts EVERYONE: the very old and the very young (and everyone in between), citizens and non-citizens, the housed and the unhoused. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency.

Why is the census important?

DoorDash is helping to spread the word about the 2020 census because we believe in making sure all voices are heard.

The census is about REPRESENTATION: it determines how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as how congressional districts are drawn. It’s also about RESOURCES: it informs how hundreds of billions of dollars flow into communities to support schools, hospitals, roads, social services and more.

People of color have traditionally been undercounted in census data (in the last census 9% of Black people in the U.S. were missed), making the census an issue that is particularly important to Black and Brown communities. COVID-19 has exacerbated this crisis.

How can I do the census?

The questionnaire is just nine questions and can be done online at my2020census.gov until October 31, 2020. You should have received information in the mail, but even if you haven’t, you should still complete the census.

The questions focus on the number of household members and basic demographic information. The census does not ask about citizenship or immigration status. Everyone counts! Responses are confidential and protected by law.