Seth Meyers Calls on New Yorkers to Fill Out the Census in New PSA

Meyers urges New York City to catch up to the national average

NEW YORK - NYC Census 2020 today released a new PSA featuring Seth Meyers, comedian and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC. In the PSA, Meyers issues an urgent call for New Yorkers to get counted in the census and help New York City’s response rate catch up to the national average. An accurate census ensures that New York City receives its fair share of federal funding for programs that are providing critical services to New Yorkers, especially now during COVID-19.

“From his days on Saturday Night Live to now as host of Late Night, Seth Meyers has always told it like it is and shared a memorable, compelling message in the process,” said NYC Census Director Julie Menin and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department. “Seth is right: this is an urgent moment for our city and all of us need to do our part by filling out the census. As we continue to fight COVID, an accurate census will be critical and the future of our city is on the line.”

“The census is a competition with every community’s fair share of nearly a trillion dollars in federal funds: education, housing, transportation, and healthcare, which in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, is more important than ever,” said Seth Meyers in the PSA. “In just five minutes, you can complete the census. Take out your phone, go to my2020census.gov and enter your name and address to get started. No mailer or code necessary. Let’s do this, New York.”

NYC Census 2020 has previously released PSAs featuring artists, celebrities, and public figures with strong ties to New York City, including singer Alicia Keys, rapper Cardi B, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. These PSAs are part of a strategy to reach historically undercounted New Yorkers and encourage people to self-respond to the census online or via phone, especially during COVID-19.

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. The census also leads to direct investments in New York City's health care system. For example, census data determines allocations for funding for CHIP and hospitals. What's more, it's how public health officials get the foundational data that public health experts use to plan for and manage situations like COVID-19.

The more New Yorkers who fill out the census, the more money the city receives for schools, hospitals, 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.
Important Facts about the 2020 Census:

• The census is available online and by phone this year: my2020census.gov and 1-844-330-2020. You can complete your census from anywhere. You do not need a census form to fill out the census. All you need is your address to start the process at my2020census.gov.
• New Yorkers can complete the census form online in 12 languages in addition to English, and each of these languages have their own dedicated, unique phone number that speakers of these languages can call to receive direct assistance. In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau has published “explainer” guides in a total of 59 languages. For more information, please visit www.2020census.gov.
•  New Yorkers can also fill out the 2020 Census in 15 different language lines:

About NYC Census 2020:

NYC Census 2020 is a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative established by Mayor de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The $40 million program is built on four pillars: (1) a $19 million community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund, empowering 157 community-based organizations to engage historically undercounted communities around the 2020 Census; (2) an in-house "Get Out the Count" field campaign supported by the smart use of cutting-edge data and organizing technology, and a volunteer organizing program to promote a complete count in each of the city's 245 neighborhoods; (3) an innovative, multilingual, tailored messaging and marketing campaign, including a $3 million commitment to investing in community and ethnic media to reach every New York City community; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City's 350,000-strong workforce and the city's major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based communities, cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. Through close partnerships with trusted leaders and organizations across the five boroughs, this unprecedented campaign represents the largest municipal investment in census organizing nationwide and will build an enduring structure that empowers New Yorkers to remain civically engaged.