Write yourcomment.

To the U.S. Census Bureau: I am writing to comment on the proposed rule “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions” (Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2026-18481, published September 10, 2026). I live in [city, county, and state]. [Describe your household: who lives with you, and anything that makes counting it less simple, such as a college student, a second home, a move this winter, a P.O. box, or a family member serving in the military.] Census counts shape [what matters to you: your children's schools, the roads you drive, your nearest hospital, emergency planning where you live]. I am concerned that [keep the points that apply and cut the rest]: • The rule would leave many residents of my community out of the apportionment count, and the fear it creates would lower response in households with citizens, too. • A January 3 to April 1 “census enumeration period” would count people like me in the wrong place. • Tying “usual residence” to tax records would misplace people who file taxes from a P.O. box, a parent's home, or a tax preparer's office. • Prohibiting race and ethnicity questions would end data my community relies on. • The rule would bar the collection of sexual orientation data on future censuses and could restrict the collection or publication of decennial census data on same-sex couples. [In your own words: what would a wrong count mean for your family or neighborhood?] I ask the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposed rule and keep its commitment to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. I also ask the Census Bureau to extend the comment period until December 10, 2026. Changes of this scope deserve more time for the public to review and respond. [Your name] [City, state]

To the U.S. Census Bureau: I am writing to comment on the proposed rule “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions” (Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2026-18481, published September 10, 2026). I am [your title] at [agency or jurisdiction], which serves [population or area served]. Our work depends on decennial census counts. We use them to [keep what applies: draw district lines, qualify for formula funding, plan schools, roads, transit, and hospitals, prepare for emergencies and disasters]. [Add one concrete example, such as a program, plan, or grant that uses census counts.] The proposed rule would undermine that work: • Excluding many lawful residents from the apportionment count would leave people who live, work, and use services here out of the numbers we plan with. • A January 3 to April 1 “census enumeration period” would count some residents at a winter location instead of the place where they spend most of their time, pay taxes, and vote. • Tying “usual residence” to tax records would place residents who use a P.O. box or another mailing address in the wrong location. [Describe how common this is in your area, if you know.] • The proposal does not describe how record-linkage errors between census responses and tax records would be handled. • [Optional:] The rule would count incarcerated people at the facility instead of at home. That shifts population toward the districts where prisons are built and away from the communities people come from (prison gerrymandering). [Describe the likely effect on your jurisdiction: services, funding, representation, or emergency planning.] I urge the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposed residence criteria and demographic-question restrictions and to keep counting every resident where they live on Census Day. I also ask the Census Bureau to extend the comment period until December 10, 2026. Changes of this scope deserve more time for the public to review and respond. [Your name] [Title, agency] [Contact information, optional]

To the U.S. Census Bureau: I am writing to comment on the proposed rule “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions” (Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2026-18481, published September 10, 2026). I am a [your role, such as demographer, epidemiologist, economist, market researcher] at [organization]. My work relies on [name the census products, surveys, or time series you use]. The proposed rule would degrade the data I and others depend on: • Decennial counts are the base that nearly every other survey is weighted to. Prohibiting race and ethnicity questions on the census would weaken race and ethnicity estimates across federal, state, local, and private surveys. • Race has been asked in some form in every census since 1790. Ending it would break a time series that [describe how you use it]. • The rule ties “usual residence” to tax records without describing how false-positive and false-negative matches would be handled, or what happens to people who do not appear in tax records. • A new January 3 to April 1 “census enumeration period” departs from the single Census Day used in every census since 1790. • Making most demographic questions voluntary, except biological sex, date of birth, and household relationship, is inconsistent with 13 U.S.C. § 221. • The rule would bar the collection of sexual orientation data on future censuses and could restrict the collection or publication of decennial census data on same-sex couples. • [Optional:] The rule would count incarcerated people at the facility instead of at home. That shifts population toward the districts where prisons are built and away from the communities people come from (prison gerrymandering). [Add the specific analyses, programs, or decisions in your field that would be harmed.] I ask the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposed rule and to test any change to residence criteria or content through its established research and review process before adopting it. I also ask the Census Bureau to extend the comment period until December 10, 2026. Changes of this scope deserve more time for the public to review and respond. [Your name] [Title, organization]

To the U.S. Census Bureau: I am writing to comment on the proposed rule “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions” (Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2026-18481, published September 10, 2026). [Organization name] is a [type of organization] serving [communities you serve] in [area]. [One or two sentences on your mission and how you use census data.] We oppose the proposed rule because: • The Constitution requires counting all persons. Excluding international students, work-visa holders, recognized refugees and asylees, and other residents from the apportionment count would, for the first time, leave residents out of the count. • Changes like these chill participation. Lower response in the households we serve, including households with citizens, would make the whole count less accurate. • Race and ethnicity data are how we measure progress in undoing historical patterns of discrimination. The rule would prohibit these questions. • The rule would bar the collection of sexual orientation data on future censuses and could restrict the collection or publication of decennial census data on same-sex couples. • [Optional:] The rule would count incarcerated people at the facility instead of at home. That shifts population toward the districts where prisons are built and away from the communities people come from (prison gerrymandering). • [Add how the communities you serve would be miscounted or left out, in your own words.] We urge the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposed rule and to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. We also ask the Census Bureau to extend the comment period until December 10, 2026. This is a significant regulatory action, and the public needs more time to review it and respond. [Name, title] [Organization]