April 1 is the official launch for the 2020 U.S. Census. One area county is getting the word out despite the pandemic.
According to the 2020census.gov website, by the time the census officially launches, between 35 and 40 percent of residents in Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois will have already responded.
In Dubois County, they’re hoping to break the halfway mark by Wednesday. With the pandemic, officials in the county had to scrap plans for many of the activities they hoped would increase the response.
Dubois County Council member Becky Beckman says they’ve called on every group they can think of to get the word out.
Beckman said, “We’re hoping we represent every aspect of living in Dubois County. From schools, libraries, churches, industry, small business, our Latino population. On and on. We’ve got everybody represented.”
Beckman says everything from federal funding to whether a chain restaurant will locate in Dubois County depends on getting an accurate count in the 2020 census.
Households should already have received a letter from the census with a identifying code included for their location. With the COVID-19 outbreak, officials are urging residents to fill out on the census online or by phone or mail.
