At its core, New Jersey’s 2020 Census effort will be a matter of effectuating a statutory mandate.

Recently-enacted law establishes a “New Jersey Complete Count Commission” consisting of 27 members. As the statute provides, it “shall be the duty of the commission to develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of a census outreach strategy to encourage full participation in the 2020 federal decennial census of population.” The commission will hold at least 3 public hearings in different regions of the state.

By law, the Secretary of State shall serve as commission chairperson and the convener of these efforts. In addition, the statute demands that the Department of State “shall provide the staff services necessary to support the functions of the commission.”

The federal government has a constitutional obligation to conduct an “actual enumeration” of the national population every 10 years by determining the “whole number of persons” in the United States. This count is known as the Census.