Please join the COVID313 Virtual Town Hall for Families and Students every Thursday starting at noon, featuring experts talking about coronavirus, education and school updates, accessing basic needs, and keeping your family healthy.

You can watch live through the Detroit Public Television Facebook Page.

As Detroit’s census push continues, its deadline in question

Victoria Kovari, who runs the census campaign for the city of Detroit, reported a census response rate of 50.3 percent during this week’s COVID313 Virtual Town Hall Meeting.

Kovari has been planning the last days of the campaign that was to end on September 30, a deadline that had been moved up by the Trump administration.

But now a federal judge has ruled the deadline should be moved back to the original extended date of October 31st, although the Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision.

The census, conducted every ten years, has a summer deadline but with the COVID-19 outbreak the deadline had been moved back.
A lower census count means less federal dollars returned to the community for city services and health care assistance.

Returning citizens, the pandemic and the 2020 Vote

“Starting today,” Assistant Michigan Secretary of State Heaster said this week’s COVID313 Virtual Town Hall Meeting, “everybody that comes home from a Michigan prison will automatically have a drivers license, state identification card and/or a voter registration card.”

Wheeler is encouraging people, especially those with high risk of contracting the coronavirus to take advantage of the right to vote in advance of election day and for some to work at the polls this year.

Wheeler said people should expect their absentee ballot in the mail very soon. You can find out more at  www.michigan.gov/vote.