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Field data collection for the 2020 Census is expected to end Sept. 30, a full month earlier than the original extension, which was established due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, the shift in deadline is to speed up the completion of the data collection and apportionment counts while protecting the health and safety of the public and the Bureau’s workforce. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States suspended all field operations from March to early May as a way to slow the spread of the virus and extended the deadline to count all Americans from July 31 to Oct. 31 to respond to the challenges the pandemic created.

As of the week of Aug. 10, Montana’s response rate (57 percent) is behind the national rate of return of 63.4 percent. Valley County has a response rate of 39.4 percent, with Glasgow having a 62.2 percent rate of return, Opheim having a 32.1 percent rate of return, Fort Peck having a 66.9 percent rate of return and Nashua having a 46.5 percent rate of return.

“I am disappointed that the canvassing is being stopped a month early. The County receives several million dollars in Federal funding every year based on our census numbers, including senior meals and aid, transit funds and public health grants. We have a low population already; not getting everyone counted will impact us directly for 10 years, until the next census. In the larger landscape, Montana has very low representation in Congress and these lower counts may kill our hopes of getting another House of Representatives member,” expressed Valley County Commissioner Mary Armstrong.

Upon hearing the deadline to count all Americans had been shortened, Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Governor Mike Conney sent a letter on Aug. 4 to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross urging the U.S. Census Bureau to continue operations through the original extension deadline, Oct. 31, in order to ensure an accurate count for Montana while also allowing for continued health and safety measures.

“Montana is not alone in experiencing deep and unprecedented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our administration is working first to protect the health and safety of our state’s 1.06 million residents. We are also doing all we can to offset the short and long-term impacts this will have on our economy, our communities and our families,” the Governor and Lt. Governor wrote.

The Census occurs every 10 years and determines not only how many representatives each state gets in Congress but also determines how much funds in federal funding is spent in the community, including for schools and roads. The funding of how much a community will gain or lose over the next 10 years is dependent on the official population count.

This year’s pandemic however has made it difficult to ensure every Montanan and every American is counted accurately. COVID-19 made its way to the country just as efforts were underway and the Census Bureau ultimately suspended field operations to follow-up with those who don’t have a physical address as well as those who had not yet responded. The Bureau has recently restarted efforts to follow up with those households. Census takers will be visiting households throughout the state to determine everyone living at the residence since April 1, 2020. If no one is home at the time of visit, a note will be left of their visit with information on how to respond online, by phone or by mail.

“Today an estimated 525,000 Montanans have not been counted in the 2020 Census. If the Census Bureau continues to move the goal posts of the decennial count, we fear entire communities in Montana will go uncounted and therefore unrepresented in our democracy. These communities rely on an accurate Census to provide critical funding for schools, healthcare and highways. Without an accurate count the fabric of Montana will be detrimentally impacted for at least the next ten years,” wrote Governor Bullock and Lt. Governor Cooney wrote in their letter to Secretary of Commerce Ross.

The Montana Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor and Industry are encouraging Montanans to apply for temporary, part-time jobs with the U.S. Census Bureau to help assist in ensuring those Montanans get counted. Those interested in applying may do so online at 2020Census.gov/jobs or through the MontanaWorks.gov website. They may also text “montanajobs” to 313131.

If not already done so, respond to the 2020 census either online, https://2020census.gov/en.html, by phone, 844-330-2020, or by responding to the paper questionnaire that was mailed in mid-April.