Every ten years, per the Constitution of the United States and the wisdom of Jefferson, Madison and other Founders, the U.S. undertakes a census. The purpose of the 2020 U.S. Census is to count every resident of the United States and to gather data to help the government do its work.
On Thursday, Governor Brian Kemp announced Georgia’s campaign to ensure strong participation.
“Every. One. Counts. is committed to ensuring that every Georgian is heard – and counted – in the 2020 Census,” said Governor Kemp. “This campaign will work closely with census-focused organizations at the state, local, and federal levels to ensure Georgia is best prepared for the next decade. I encourage every Georgian to visit www.census.georgia.gov to learn more about this important initiative and make plans to participate.”
This is the first time the Census will be conducted primarily online through a secure Census Questionnaire, although hard-copy questionnaires will be still be available for submission via telephone and mail. There will also of course be that iconic American employment of Census takers, hitting the streets, finding those who may have forgotten to fill it out online.
Led by the state’s Complete Counts Committee (CCC), Every. One. Counts. is a massive marketing campaign. The Census will be one of the most important initiatives of the decade. The reason is because federal funding, political representation at the federal and state levels, and numerous other issues are impacted by the Census. Georgia receives nearly $25 billion in federal programs every year. That is more than $2,300 per Georgian.
The CCC is composed of sixty-six leaders from across the state and is a task force to ensure every resident is counted. The committee is chaired by Rusty Haygood from the Department of Community Affairs and Anna Millers from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. Lori Geary and Tharon Johnson also serve as co-executive directors for the marketing campaign.
Besides the statewide CCC, there are also Local Complete Count Committees working around the state in local municipalities. “Local Complete Count Committees are groups of community members that work towards ensuring everyone in their community is counted once, only once, and in the right place,” said the CCC. “LCCCs are homegrown from the community and made up of a variety of people, from local elected officials, trusted voices, community organizers, business leaders, religious leaders, and everyday people.”
These counting committees are of course hoping to make sure everyone is counted but have a particular focus on the “hard to count” groups. These may be people with disabilities, language barriers, low-income or other reasons that may make them more difficult to reach. These groups also happen to be among those who may be most in need of federal aid and ensuring an accurate count means that federal aid will find its target.
To learn more: Every. One. Counts.
