Editor:

Most households throughout Georgia should have received up to five mailings from the Census Bureau requesting their participation in Census 2020. If you have not, keep reading and we will share how you can be counted. Through April 22, 50.3 percent of Bryan County households had returned their Census, compared to 51.6 percent nationwide.

Census data is used by 316 programs to direct federal funding. These include Medicare and Medicaid, school lunches and health centers, and programs like WIC and SNAP. We all know people who benefits from these programs. Without claiming our share of federal funds, the cost of these critical services will be borne by other resources. Census data is also used to adjust political jurisdictions such as congressional districts or state house and senate districts.

 Why does this matter? After the 2010 Census, five rural state house districts and two rural state senate districts became urban districts because of population shift. To ensure appropriate representation after Census 2020, be counted to preserve your political voice.

Enumerators from the Census Bureau are scheduled to visit all nonresponsive households later this summer to get responses. In light of COVID-19, do everyone a favor and complete the Census form online (my2020census.gov), by phone (844-330-2020), or on the form mailed to you so the enumerators visit fewer households. It’s fast, easy and secure.

Remember Georgia, Every. One.Counts.

Sincerely, Carter Infinger, Bryan County Commission chairman Anna Wrigley Miller and Rusty Haygood co-chairs, Georgia Complete Count Committee Lori Geary and Tharon Johnson co-executive directors, Every.One.Counts.

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