2020 Census Gets Underway

Since 1790, the U.S. Census, which is mandated by the Constitution, has occurred every 10 years. This year marks another decade where information needs to be obtained in order to determine funding, possibly another U.S. House seat for the state and to better the community. Starting March 12, households will begin receiving an invitation to respond to the 2020 Census either through their mail or dropped off directly at their household.

The Census is very important for every household to complete as the data obtained is used to determine more than $675 billion in federal funding allocations across the nation, with most of the allocations determined by population and demographics at the State and county level. “For every Montana resident counted, the Census estimates we will receive nearly $2,000 per person per year in federal funding. That’s nearly $15 million per year in federal funding for Valley County. For every one person we don’t count in the Census, we lose out on $2,000 per year for a 10-year period, that’s $20,000 per person missed!” stated Valley County Commissioner Mary Armstrong.

Other uses for the data include defining legislative districts, establishing school districts and is used to apportion seats in the US House of Representatives, of which Montana is close to getting back its second congressional seat. In addition, the data is used to inform community decisions. “Correct data is crucial to providing adequate services for seniors, essential air services, veterans' services and obtaining grant funding for key programs like Valley County Transit,” explained Armstrong.

Every household is expected to receive an invitation to complete the 2020 Census, which will include an unique identification number that is tied to their physical address. For people who have mail delivery to their residence, the invitation will arrive in their mailbox, however those with a PO Box will receive theirs dropped off directly at their household. If for some reason an invite doesn’t arrive, it is encouraged to log online to census.mt.gov.

Upon receipt, the recipient is encouraged to go online with the identification number provided and respond to the questions presented for each person residing in the home. If the recipient isn’t comfortable with responding online, they can respond over the phone or wait for a paper form to arrive. In addition, the Glasgow City-County Library and the Ophiem Community Library are designated Census sites, where the public can go online and complete their census information. The Census itself is expected to take only a few minutes to fill out and by federal law, the information obtained is confidential and cannot be used against the person responding in any way.

After a series of reminder mailings, if the household has not self-responded, in May census takers will come door-to-door to collect responses. The census takers will have a valid identification badge with their photograph, a US Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date. If there are any questions regarding their identity, a Census Bureau representative can be contacted at 800-923-8282. Census takers will never ask for your social security number, financial information or any information related to political affiliations.

“The 2020 census is very important to Valley County and to Montana! Please take the time to fill out the Census. Make it count for Valley County!” stressed Armstrong. For more information, visit http://www.2020census.gov.